Compare: New York→Seattle (3,866 km) vs New York→Los Angeles (3,936 km). New York → Seattle wins by 70 km (2%). Side-by-side with flight & drive times.
By SnapDistance Team
3,866 km
2,402 miles · Flight: ~5h 20min · Drive: ~62h 49min
✓ Shorter route
3,936 km
2,446 miles · Flight: ~5h 25min · Drive: ~63h 58min
Difference: 70 km (2%) · Flight time difference: ~5 min
Verdict
New York → Seattle is the smarter pick if travel time and emissions matter most: it is 70 km (2%) shorter, saves about 5 min of flight time, and cuts roughly 18 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Choose New York → Los Angeles only if the destination itself is the reason for the trip.
New York → Seattle is the shorter route at 3,866 km, which is 70 km (2%) shorter than New York → Los Angeles. You would save approximately 5 min in flight time by choosing the shorter route.
| Metric | New York → Seattle | New York → Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Distance (km) | 3,866 | 3,936 |
| Distance (miles) | 2,402 | 2,446 |
| Flight time | ~5h 20min | ~5h 25min |
| Driving time | ~62h 49min | ~63h 58min |
| Road distance (rough estimate) | ~5,025 km | ~5,116 km |
| Continuous road link? | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-continental | No | No |
| Initial bearing | 298° (WNW) | 274° (W) |
| Time-zone shift | -3h | -3h |
| CO₂ – flight (per pax) | ~986 kg | ~1,004 kg |
| CO₂ – driving (per car) | ~859 kg | ~875 kg |
| Fuel cost (est.) | ~$503 USD | ~$512 USD |
Flying from New York to Seattle produces roughly 986 kg of CO₂ per passenger, based on the ICAO/EEA short-haul emission factor of ~0.255 kg per passenger-km. The New York → Los Angeles flight emits about 1,004 kg. Choosing the shorter route saves approximately 18 kg of CO₂ per traveler — equivalent to 1 typical tree-years of carbon sequestration. For comparison, driving emits roughly 859 kg and 875 kg per car respectively — meaningful only when the car carries multiple passengers.
The New York to Seattle route covers 3,866 km (2,402 miles), staying within North America. New York (population: 8,336,817) is located in Northeast, United States, while Seattle (population: 737,015) is in Pacific Northwest, United States.
The New York to Los Angeles route covers 3,936 km (2,446 miles), remaining within North America. New York (population: 8,336,817) is in Northeast, United States, and Los Angeles (population: 3,979,576) is in West Coast, United States.
Flying from New York to Seattle takes approximately 5h 20min, while New York to Los Angeles takes 5h 25min. If driving is an option, expect roughly 62h 49min for the first route and 63h 58min for the second.
Since both routes depart from New York, this comparison is especially useful for travelers deciding between Seattle and Los Angeles as a destination.
The 70 km difference between these routes is relatively modest, so other factors like ticket prices and schedules may matter more.
Both routes have a continuous land link, with rough road estimates of about 5,025 km and 5,116 km — straight-line distance × 1.3, not routed drives.
Seattle (United States) has a population of 737,015 and is located in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It's a charming destination known for its regional character.
Los Angeles (United States) has a population of 3,979,576 and is situated in West Coast, North America. This city serves as an important regional hub with solid connectivity.
Choose this route if your priority is reaching Seattle (United States) — a city of 737,015 in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is also the shorter option at 3,866 km, which translates to a 5 min flight-time saving and roughly 18 kg less CO₂ per passenger versus the alternative. Driving is realistic at this distance, with an estimated 5,025 km of road and a fuel cost band around $503 USD. The initial bearing is 298° (WNW), so a great-circle flight leaves New York heading roughly WNW.
This route is the right call if you are heading to Los Angeles (United States) — a city of 3,979,576 in the West Coast region of North America. Even though it is the longer route at 3,936 km, it remains the obvious pick when Los Angeles is the actual destination, when departure schedules from New York are more convenient, or when fares undercut the alternative. Driving is feasible — expect roughly 5,116 km of road and a fuel cost in the $512 USD range. Departing New York, the great-circle bearing toward Los Angeles is 274° (W).
New York (40.71°, -74.01°) → Seattle (47.61°, -122.33°): New York keeps America/New_York time and Seattle keeps America/Los_Angeles time — a gap of about 3 hours, with Seattle behind. 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. New York (40.71°, -74.01°) → Los Angeles (34.05°, -118.24°): New York keeps America/New_York time and Los Angeles keeps America/Los_Angeles time — a gap of about 3 hours, with Los Angeles behind. 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. Both routes have manageable shifts, so jet lag should not be a major factor.
Seattle is closer at 3,866 km, which is 70 km (2%) shorter.
3,866 km (2,402 miles). Flight: ~5h 20min.
3,936 km (2,446 miles). Flight: ~5h 25min.
Flying to Seattle is faster at ~5h 20min, saving about 5 min compared to Los Angeles.
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.