- Great circle
- 10,037 km
- 6,237 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 12h 58m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 58.7°N
- at 54% along
- One lap of Earth
- 25.0%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 41st longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From Los Angeles the path crosses the United States, then 3,162 km of open water, then the United States, then 2,258 km of open water, then Russia, then 928 km of open water, then Russia, then China.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 58.7°N, 54% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 11,108 km. That is 1,072 km further, about 11% more, and roughly 1h 20m of extra flying.
Leaving Los Angeles the aircraft points north-west (321°); it arrives into Beijing heading south-west (223°). That is 98° of drift without a single turn — the compass moves because the path is a curve on a sphere, not because the aircraft does.
LAX
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States · North America
33.9°N, 118.4°W
Los Angeles to Beijing, asked and answered
- How far is Los Angeles to Beijing?
- Los Angeles to Beijing (LAX to PEK) is 10,037 km, or 6,237 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Beijing?
- About 12h 58m 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 Los Angeles to Beijing flight take?
- The great circle passes over the United States, then 3,162 km of open water, then the United States, then 2,258 km of open water, then Russia, then 928 km of open water, then Russia, then China. It reaches 58.7°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.