Chicago to Cincinnati distance
Chicago and Cincinnati are 251 miles (405 km) apart in a straight line and 293 miles (472 km) apart by road: about 5 hr 35 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-65 and US 421. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the time difference and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 293 mi (472 km)
- Driving time
- 5 hr 35 min
- Straight line
- 251 mi (405 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 251 mi (405 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 293 mi (472 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 5 hr 35 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +17% 1.17 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 52 mph (84 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 138° (southeast) leaving Chicago toward Cincinnati |
| Midpoint | 40.4875° N, 86.0507° W near Center (Indiana) |
| Halfway by road | Near Ulen (Indiana) 147 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | 1 hour ahead Cincinnati compared with Chicago |
| Elevation | Chicago: 588 ft (179 m) · Cincinnati: 552 ft (168 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Chicago: 2,731,585 · Cincinnati: 314,367 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Chicago to Cincinnati by road
The fastest driving route is 293 miles (472 km) long and takes about 5 hr 35 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-65 (133 mi), US 421 (85.2 mi), and I-90 (26.8 mi).
It goes through 3 states: Illinois (14.1 mi), Indiana (256 mi), and Ohio (23.5 mi). That’s an average of 52 mph (84 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 6 hr 15 min. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Chicago and Cincinnati are 251 miles (405 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 17% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 117. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 43rd for detour (the average is 16%).
From Chicago, Cincinnati lies to the southeast (bearing 138°), and from Cincinnati, Chicago lies to the northwest. The straight line reaches Cincinnati on a bearing of 140°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Chicago and Cincinnati
Halfway along the straight line, 126 miles (202 km) from each city, is the point 40.4875° N, 86.0507° W. It falls near Center (Indiana, pop. 605), 3.5 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 147 miles (236 km) from each city, near Ulen (Indiana, pop. 112), 5.0 mi away. The two midpoints are 35.1 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time difference and flight
Cincinnati is 1 hour ahead of Chicago all year (Eastern Time versus Central Time): when it’s 12:00 in Chicago, it’s 13:00 in Cincinnati.
No flight time is given: under 500 km (311 miles) in a straight line, time at the airport outweighs time in the air.
The two cities
Chicago and Cincinnati sit at almost the same elevation: 588 ft (179 m) and 552 ft (168 m).
Chicago has 2.7 million people and Cincinnati 314,367 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Chicago to Cincinnati?
251 miles (405 km) in a straight line and 293 miles (472 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-65 and US 421).
How long is the drive from Chicago to Cincinnati?
About 5 hr 35 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 6 hr 15 min.
Where is the halfway point between Chicago and Cincinnati?
In a straight line, near Center (Indiana). By road, 147 mi from each city, near Ulen (Indiana).
What’s the time difference between Chicago and Cincinnati?
Cincinnati is 1 hour ahead of Chicago all year: when it’s 12:00 in Chicago, it’s 13:00 in Cincinnati.
Which direction is Cincinnati from Chicago?
Southeast: the straight line leaves Chicago on a bearing of 138° (0° is north and 90° is east).
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
- Time difference calculator Compare the time in two or more places and find a good hour to call or meet across time zones.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
- Chicago to Louisville 268 mi straight line · 294 mi by road · 5 hr 40 min Louisville, 89.2 mi from Cincinnati
- Chicago to Indianapolis 164 mi straight line · 180 mi by road · 3 hr 35 min Indianapolis, 99.1 mi from Cincinnati
- Chicago to Columbus 276 mi straight line · 354 mi by road · 6 hr 50 min Columbus, 100 mi from Cincinnati
More distances from Chicago
All distances- Chicago to Cleveland 309 mi straight line · 344 mi by road · 6 hr 25 min
- Chicago to Kansas City 411 mi straight line · 509 mi by road · 9 hr 35 min
- Chicago to Nashville 395 mi straight line · 468 mi by road · 8 hr 50 min
- Chicago to Madison 123 mi straight line · 152 mi by road · 3 hr 10 min
- Chicago to Grand Rapids 127 mi straight line · 176 mi by road · 3 hr 25 min
- Chicago to Dallas 802 mi straight line · 967 mi by road · 17 hr 5 min
More distances from Cincinnati
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology