- Great circle
- 5,902 km
- 3,667 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 7h 50m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 53.8°N
- at 27% along
- One lap of Earth
- 14.7%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 110th longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,172 km of open water, then Canada, then the United States.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 53.8°N, 27% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 6,155 km. That is 253 km further, about 4% more, and roughly 19m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points west (289°); it arrives into Washington heading south-west (229°). That is 59° 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 Washington, asked and answered
- How far is London to Washington?
- London to Washington (LHR to IAD) is 5,902 km, or 3,667 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Washington?
- About 7h 50m 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 Washington flight take?
- The great circle passes over United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,172 km of open water, then Canada, 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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