Los Angeles to Denver distance
Los Angeles and Denver are 831 miles (1,338 km) apart in a straight line and 1,017 miles (1,636 km) apart by road: about 17 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-70 and I-15. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the approximate flight time, the time difference and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 1,017 mi (1,636 km)
- Driving time
- 17 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 831 mi (1,338 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 | 831 mi (1,338 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 1,017 mi (1,636 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 17 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +22% 1.22 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 57 mph (92 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 58° (northeast) leaving Los Angeles toward Denver |
| Midpoint | 37.0816° N, 111.8614° W near Big Water (Utah) |
| Halfway by road | Near Marysvale (Utah) 508 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | 1 hour ahead Denver compared with Los Angeles |
| Approximate flight | 2 hr 10 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h |
| Elevation | Los Angeles: 284 ft (87 m) · Denver: 5,276 ft (1,608 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Los Angeles: 3,869,089 · Denver: 740,613 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Los Angeles to Denver by road
The fastest driving route is 1,017 miles (1,636 km) long and takes about 17 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-70 (493 mi) and I-15 (469 mi).
It goes through 5 states: California (226 mi), Nevada (124 mi), Arizona (29.4 mi), Utah (364 mi), and Colorado (273 mi). That’s an average of 57 mph (92 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 8 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 20 hr 30 min. At about 8 hours behind the wheel a day, it’s a 3-day drive. 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, Los Angeles and Denver are 831 miles (1,338 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 22% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 122. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 14th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Los Angeles, Denver lies to the northeast (bearing 58°), and from Denver, Los Angeles lies to the southwest. The straight line reaches Denver on a bearing of 66°: 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 Los Angeles and Denver
Halfway along the straight line, 416 miles (669 km) from each city, is the point 37.0816° N, 111.8614° W. It falls near Big Water (Utah, pop. 532), 11.1 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 508 miles (818 km) from each city, near Marysvale (Utah, pop. 485), 19.9 mi away. The two midpoints are 108 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time difference and flight
Denver is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles all year (Mountain Time versus Pacific Time): when it’s 12:00 in Los Angeles, it’s 13:00 in Denver.
A direct flight would take about 2 hr 10 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 1,338 km straight line at 800 km/h (about 497 mph), a typical airliner cruising speed. Real schedules depend on wind, routing and airports, and not every pair has a direct flight.
The two cities
Los Angeles sits at 284 ft (87 m) and Denver at 5,276 ft (1,608 m), 4,992 ft (1,522 m) higher.
Los Angeles has 3.9 million people and Denver 740,613 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Los Angeles to Denver?
831 miles (1,338 km) in a straight line and 1,017 miles (1,636 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-70 and I-15).
How long is the drive from Los Angeles to Denver?
About 17 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 8 stops of 20 minutes, about 20 hr 30 min.
Where is the halfway point between Los Angeles and Denver?
In a straight line, near Big Water (Utah). By road, 508 mi from each city, near Marysvale (Utah).
How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Denver?
About 2 hr 10 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (1,338 km): 30 minutes for takeoff and landing plus the trip at 800 km/h. Real flight times vary with wind and routing.
What’s the time difference between Los Angeles and Denver?
Denver is 1 hour ahead of Los Angeles all year: when it’s 12:00 in Los Angeles, it’s 13:00 in Denver.
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.
- Los Angeles to Salt Lake City 579 mi straight line · 688 mi by road · 12 hr Salt Lake City, 372 mi from Denver
- Denver to Salt Lake City 372 mi straight line · 520 mi by road · 9 hr Salt Lake City, 579 mi from Los Angeles
- Los Angeles to Phoenix 358 mi straight line · 373 mi by road · 6 hr 40 min Phoenix, 586 mi from Denver
- Las Vegas to Salt Lake City 362 mi straight line · 420 mi by road · 7 hr 5 min Las Vegas, 229 mi from Los Angeles · Salt Lake City, 372 mi from Denver
More distances from Los Angeles
All distances- Los Angeles to Dallas 1,240 mi straight line · 1,438 mi by road · 24 hr 45 min
- Los Angeles to Miami 2,339 mi straight line · 2,733 mi by road · 47 hr 55 min
- Los Angeles to Honolulu 2,563 mi straight line · 5 hr 40 min flight
- Los Angeles to Mexico City 1,547 mi straight line · 1,908 mi by road · 35 hr 45 min
- Los Angeles to London 5,454 mi straight line · 11 hr 30 min flight
- Los Angeles to Tokyo 5,490 mi straight line · 11 hr 35 min flight
More distances from Denver
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