- Great circle
- 6,344 km
- 3,942 mi
- Estimated in the air
- 8h 23m
- block time
- Furthest from equator
- 56.5°N
- at 36% along
- One lap of Earth
- 15.8%
- of 40,075 km
Of the 292 routes catalogued here, this is the 103rd longest.
What the aircraft actually flies over
From London the path crosses United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,045 km of open water, then Canada, then the United States.
The furthest the great circle gets from the equator is 56.5°N, 36% of the way along.
Flying the line that looks straight on a Mercator map — one constant compass bearing — would cover 6,724 km. That is 380 km further, about 6% more, and roughly 28m of extra flying.
Leaving London the aircraft points north-west (298°); it arrives into Chicago heading south-west (228°). That is 70° 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 Chicago, asked and answered
- How far is London to Chicago?
- London to Chicago (LHR to ORD) is 6,344 km, or 3,942 mi, measured as great circle distance between the two airports.
- How long is the flight from London to Chicago?
- About 8h 23m 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 Chicago flight take?
- The great circle passes over United Kingdom, then Ireland, then 3,045 km of open water, then Canada, then the United States. It reaches 56.5°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.