Compare: Los Angeles→Sydney (12,074 km) vs Los Angeles→Tokyo (8,819 km). Los Angeles → Tokyo wins by 3,255 km (27%). Side-by-side with flight & drive times.
By SnapDistance Team
12,074 km
7,502 miles · Flight: ~15h 36min
8,819 km
5,480 miles · Flight: ~11h 31min
✓ Shorter route
Difference: 3,255 km (27%) · Flight time difference: ~4h 5min
Verdict
Los Angeles → Tokyo is the smarter pick if travel time and emissions matter most: it is 3,255 km (27%) shorter, saves about 4h 5min of flight time, and cuts roughly 830 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Choose Los Angeles → Sydney only if the destination itself is the reason for the trip.
Los Angeles → Tokyo is the shorter route at 8,819 km, which is 3,255 km (27%) shorter than Los Angeles → Sydney. You would save approximately 4h 5min in flight time by choosing the shorter route.
| Metric | Los Angeles → Sydney | Los Angeles → Tokyo |
|---|---|---|
| Distance (km) | 12,074 | 8,819 |
| Distance (miles) | 7,502 | 5,480 |
| Flight time | ~15h 36min | ~11h 31min |
| Driving time | No road estimate | No road estimate |
| Road distance (rough estimate) | Not published | Not published |
| Continuous road link? | No | No |
| Cross-continental | Yes | Yes |
| Initial bearing | 241° (WSW) | 306° (NW) |
| Time-zone shift | +18h | +16h |
| CO₂ – flight (per pax) | ~3,079 kg | ~2,249 kg |
| CO₂ – driving (per car) | — | — |
| Fuel cost (est.) | — | — |
Flying from Los Angeles to Sydney produces roughly 3,079 kg of CO₂ per passenger, based on the ICAO/EEA short-haul emission factor of ~0.255 kg per passenger-km. The Los Angeles → Tokyo flight emits about 2,249 kg. Choosing the shorter route saves approximately 830 kg of CO₂ per traveler — equivalent to 40 typical tree-years of carbon sequestration.
The Los Angeles to Sydney route covers 12,074 km (7,502 miles), crossing from North America to Oceania. Los Angeles (population: 3,979,576) is located in West Coast, United States, while Sydney (population: 5,312,163) is in New South Wales, Australia.
The Los Angeles to Tokyo route covers 8,819 km (5,480 miles), spanning from North America to Asia. Los Angeles (population: 3,979,576) is in West Coast, United States, and Tokyo (population: 13,960,000) is in Kanto, Japan.
Flying from Los Angeles to Sydney takes approximately 15h 36min, while Los Angeles to Tokyo takes 11h 31min.
Since both routes depart from Los Angeles, this comparison is especially useful for travelers deciding between Sydney and Tokyo as a destination.
The 3,255 km difference between these routes is noticeable in both travel time and fuel or ticket costs.
Neither route has a road figure we can defend. There is no continuous road connection between Los Angeles and Sydney — the two cities sit on separate landmasses, so the journey requires air or sea transport. There is no continuous road connection between Los Angeles and Tokyo — the two cities sit on separate landmasses, so the journey requires air or sea transport.
Sydney (Australia) has a population of 5,312,163 and is located in the New South Wales region of Oceania. As a major metropolis, it offers extensive international connections and diverse attractions.
Tokyo (Japan) has a population of 13,960,000 and is situated in Kanto, Asia. This major global city has multiple airports and world-class infrastructure.
Choose this route if your priority is reaching Sydney (Australia) — a city of 5,312,163 in the New South Wales region of Oceania. Despite being the longer of the two at 12,074 km, it makes sense when Sydney itself is the destination, the schedule fits better, or ticket prices are noticeably lower. This is a fly-only route in practice — overland travel is not realistic at 12,074 km. The initial bearing is 241° (WSW), so a great-circle flight leaves Los Angeles heading roughly WSW.
This route is the right call if you are heading to Tokyo (Japan) — a city of 13,960,000 in the Kanto region of Asia. It is also the shorter of the two at 8,819 km, saving about 4h 5min of flying and around 830 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Overland travel is not practical for 8,819 km; flying is the realistic mode. Departing Los Angeles, the great-circle bearing toward Tokyo is 306° (NW).
Los Angeles (34.05°, -118.24°) → Sydney (-33.87°, 151.21°): Los Angeles keeps America/Los_Angeles time and Sydney keeps Australia/Sydney time — a gap of about 18 hours, with Sydney ahead. The exact gap moves when either zone switches to or from daylight saving, so use the live figure in the calculator for your travel dates. Los Angeles (34.05°, -118.24°) → Tokyo (35.68°, 139.65°): Los Angeles keeps America/Los_Angeles time and Tokyo keeps Asia/Tokyo time — a gap of about 16 hours, with Tokyo ahead. The exact gap moves when either zone switches to or from daylight saving, so use the live figure in the calculator for your travel dates. Both gaps come from the cities' real IANA zones and move with daylight saving. Shifts of 5 hours or more typically produce noticeable jet lag — plan one recovery day per three time zones crossed.
Tokyo is closer at 8,819 km, which is 3,255 km (27%) shorter.
12,074 km (7,502 miles). Flight: ~15h 36min.
8,819 km (5,480 miles). Flight: ~11h 31min.
Flying to Tokyo is faster at ~11h 31min, saving about 4h 5min compared to Sydney.
All distances on SnapDistance are calculated using the Haversine formula, which determines the great-circle distance between two points on Earth's surface. This gives the shortest possible distance over the globe, which is the measurement used for aviation and navigation. Actual travel distances by road or rail are typically 20-40% longer due to terrain, borders, and infrastructure routing. Flight times assume 800 km/h cruising speed with 30 minutes for takeoff and landing. Driving estimates use 80 km/h average speed with a 30% road distance factor.