Chicago, United States → Washington, United States
516 nautical miles · Direction: southeast
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Washington is 955 km (594 miles). Washington lies roughly east-southeast of Chicago; the initial great-circle bearing is 107° (ESE). It is a domestic route within United States.
Chicago (Midwest, United States) sits at 41.8781°N, 87.6298°W; Washington (Northeast, United States) is at 38.9072°N, 77.0369°W. The initial great-circle bearing is 107° (ESE); on a great circle the heading changes along the way.
| Mode | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Flight | ~1h 42min | Estimate: 800 km/h + 30 min taxi. Not a schedule; total trip time is longer. |
| 🚗 Road | ~1,242 km · ~15h 32min | Rough estimate: straight line × 1.3 at 80 km/h. Not live routing. |
| 🚆 Rail | No timetable data | Same landmass, so rail may exist — check an operator. |
Rough road-length estimate for Chicago to Washington: about 1,242 km. This is an estimate, not a routed drive — the actual road distance depends on the road network, crossings and the route chosen.
The geographic halfway point of the great-circle path between Chicago and Washington lies at approximately 40.5136°N, 82.2162°W — the position that is an equal 478 km from each city along that path. It is a geometric midpoint, not a halfway point by road.
Washington (America/New_York) is 1 hour ahead of Chicago (America/Chicago) all year; daylight saving does not change the gap.
All distances from Chicago · All distances from Washington
The straight-line distance from Chicago to Washington is approximately 955 km (594 miles, 516 nautical miles).
Washington lies roughly east-southeast of Chicago; the initial great-circle bearing is 107° (ESE).
Estimated flight time is about 1h 42min (great-circle distance at 800 km/h plus 30 min for taxi, take-off and landing). It is not an airline schedule; total airport-to-airport trip time is longer.
Rough road-length estimate for Chicago to Washington: about 1,242 km. This is an estimate, not a routed drive — the actual road distance depends on the road network, crossings and the route chosen.
Washington (America/New_York) is 1 hour ahead of Chicago (America/Chicago) all year; daylight saving does not change the gap.
Straight-line distance uses the great-circle (Haversine) method. Flight and road figures, where shown, are estimates rather than schedules or live routing. How SnapDistance calculates distances