"How far is London from Manchester?" It's the kind of question that pops up all the time — planning a trip, settling a debate, answering a quiz question, or just satisfying curiosity. Our Distance Between tool gives you the answer instantly.
How It Works
Using the tool couldn't be simpler:
- Enter your first location — Type a city name, town, or UK postcode
- Enter your second location — Same again
- Click Calculate — Get your answer immediately
That's it. No sign-up, no waiting, no limits. The result shows the distance in miles, kilometres, and nautical miles, plus the compass bearing from the first place to the second.
What Can You Search For?
The tool is flexible about what you can enter:
- Major cities — London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh
- Towns and villages — Windsor, Stratford-upon-Avon, Keswick
- UK postcodes — SW1A 1AA, M1 1AA, EH1 1YZ
- International places — Paris, New York, Sydney, Tokyo
- Landmarks — Stonehenge, Edinburgh Castle, Big Ben
For UK postcodes, we use local data for instant results. For everything else, we use geocoding to find the location.
Straight-Line vs Road Distance
The tool calculates "as the crow flies" distance — the shortest straight line between two points on Earth. This is different from driving distance, which follows roads and is always longer.
As a rough guide, road distance is typically 20-40% longer than straight-line distance, depending on the terrain and road network between the two places.
Why show straight-line distance? Because it's:
- Instant — No need to calculate complex road routes
- Consistent — The same regardless of which route you'd take
- Useful — Gives you a quick sense of how far apart places really are
Popular Distance Searches
Here are some of the most common distances people search for in the UK:
London to Manchester
Approximately 163 miles (262 km) as the crow flies. By road, it's about 200 miles, taking around 4 hours by car or just over 2 hours by train.
London to Edinburgh
Approximately 332 miles (534 km) in a straight line. The train takes about 4.5 hours, while driving is around 400 miles and 7-8 hours.
Glasgow to Edinburgh
Just 42 miles (68 km) apart — Scotland's two largest cities are surprisingly close. The train takes about 50 minutes.
Liverpool to Manchester
Only 31 miles (50 km) separating these two northern powerhouses. About an hour by road or rail.
Bristol to Cardiff
Approximately 26 miles (42 km) across the Severn Estuary. The M4 crossing makes it about 45 minutes by car.
Birmingham to Leeds
Around 100 miles (161 km) as the crow flies. The M1/M62 route takes about 2 hours by car.
Travel Time Estimates
The tool also shows estimated travel times based on the straight-line distance:
- Walking — At 5 km/h (a comfortable walking pace)
- Cycling — At 20 km/h (moderate cycling speed)
- Driving — At 80 km/h (average including stops and varying roads)
These are estimates based on direct distance. Real journey times will be longer because roads don't go in straight lines. But they give you a useful ballpark figure.
Share Your Results
Found the distance you were looking for? You can share it with others using the "Copy Link" button. This creates a URL that loads the exact same search, perfect for:
- Sending to friends or colleagues
- Saving for future reference
- Including in documents or emails
- Settling arguments with proof!
When to Use This vs Measure Distance
We have two distance tools, each suited to different tasks:
Distance Between — Best when you want a quick answer to "how far is A from B?" Just type two place names and get the result.
Measure Distance — Best when you want to trace out a specific route on the map, like planning a walking or cycling path with multiple waypoints.
Privacy
Like all our tools, the Distance Between calculator runs entirely in your browser. We don't track your searches, store your locations, or collect any personal data. Your queries are yours alone.
Try It Now
Ready to find out how far it is between two places? Open the tool and enter your locations — you'll have your answer in seconds.
Got feedback or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you — get in touch.