- Great circle
- 6,761 km
- 4,201 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 8h 54m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 53.8°N
- at 23% along
- One lap of Earth
- 16.9%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 98th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,110 km of open water, then Canada, then 473 km of open water, then the United States.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 53.8°N, 23% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 7,086 km. That is 325 km further, about 5% more, and roughly 24m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points west (288°); it arrives into Atlanta heading south-west (225°). That is 63° of drift without a single turn — the compass moves because the path is a curve on a sphere, not because the aircraft does.
London to Atlanta, asked and answered
- How far is London to Atlanta?
- London to Atlanta (LHR to ATL) is 6,761 km, or 4,201 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Atlanta?
- About 8h 54m 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 London to Atlanta flight take?
- The great circle passes over United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,110 km of open water, then Canada, then 473 km of open water, then the United States. It reaches 53.8°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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