- Great circle
- 12,970 km
- 8,059 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 16h 37m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 84.0°N
- at 58% along
- One lap of Earth
- 32.4%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 19th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From Hong Kong the path crosses China, then Russia, then 3,243 km of open water, then Canada, then 681 km of open water, then Canada, then the United States.
The great circle reaches 84.0°N, inside the Arctic circle — which is why the route looks like a detour over the top of the world on a flat map, and like the obvious line on a globe.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 16,345 km. That is 3,375 km further, about 26% more, and roughly 4h 12m of extra flying.
Leaving Hong Kong the aircraft points north (7°); it arrives into New York heading south (172°). That is 166° of drift without a single turn — the compass moves because the path is a curve on a sphere, not because the aircraft does.
JFK
John F. Kennedy
New York, United States · North America
40.6°N, 73.8°W
Hong Kong to New York, asked and answered
- How far is Hong Kong to New York?
- Hong Kong to New York (HKG to JFK) is 12,970 km, or 8,059 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from Hong Kong to New York?
- About 16h 37m in the air. That is an estimate from the distance at a typical airliner block speed, plus half an hour for taxi, climb and descent; published schedules vary with winds and routing.
- What route does a Hong Kong to New York flight take?
- The great circle passes over China, then Russia, then 3,243 km of open water, then Canada, then 681 km of open water, then Canada, then the United States. It reaches 84.0°N at its furthest from the equator.
Where these numbers come from
Distances are computed from the two airports’ own coordinates, not looked up from published routes. Times are estimates, not schedules.
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