- Great circle
- 12,970 km
- 8,059 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 16h 37m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 84.0°N
- at 42% along
- One lap of Earth
- 32.4%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 18th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From New York the path crosses the United States, then Canada, then 681 km of open water, then Canada, then 3,243 km of open water, then Russia, then China.
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 New York the aircraft points north (352°); it arrives into Hong Kong heading south (187°). 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
New York to Hong Kong, asked and answered
- How far is New York to Hong Kong?
- New York to Hong Kong (JFK to HKG) is 12,970 km, or 8,059 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from New York to Hong Kong?
- 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 New York to Hong Kong flight take?
- The great circle passes over the United States, then Canada, then 681 km of open water, then Canada, then 3,243 km of open water, then Russia, then China. 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.
Flown this one?
Orbit logs it in two taps and draws the arc on your own globe, along with every other flight you can remember. Free for your first 15.