Madrid to Cartagena distance
Madrid and Cartagena are 391 km (243 mi) apart in a straight line and 451 km (280 mi) apart by road: about 4 hr 55 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-30 and the A-3. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 451 km (280 mi)
- Driving time
- 4 hr 55 min
- Straight line
- 391 km (243 mi)
- 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 | 391 km (243 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 451 km (280 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 4 hr 55 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +15% 1.15 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 91 km/h (56 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 142° (southeast) leaving Madrid toward Cartagena |
| Midpoint | 39.0180° N, 2.3116° W near Lezuza (Albacete) |
| Halfway by road | Near Montalvos (Albacete) 225 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Cartagena: 5 m (16 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Cartagena: 220,704 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Cartagena by road
The fastest driving route is 451 km (280 mi) long and takes about 4 hr 55 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on the A-30 (192 km), the A-3 (173 km), and the A-31 (79.5 km).
It goes through 3 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (71.6 km), Castilla–La Mancha (268 km), and the Region of Murcia (111 km). That’s an average of 91 km/h (56 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 2 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 5 hr 35 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, Madrid and Cartagena are 391 km (243 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 15% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 115. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 120 Spanish driving pairs in this series, it ranks 102nd for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Cartagena lies to the southeast (bearing 142°), and from Cartagena, Madrid lies to the northwest.
Halfway between Madrid and Cartagena
Halfway along the straight line, 195 km (121 mi) from each city, is the point 39.0180° N, 2.3116° W. It falls near Lezuza (Albacete, pop. 1,281), 8.5 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Villarrobledo (Albacete, pop. 25,400), 37.3 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 225 km (140 mi) from each city, near Montalvos (Albacete, pop. 74), 4.3 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Albacete (pop. 175,400), 26.4 km away. The two midpoints are 25.7 km apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
By plane
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
Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft) and Cartagena at 5 m (16 ft), 640 m (2,100 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Cartagena 220,704 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Cartagena?
391 km (243 mi) in a straight line and 451 km (280 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-30 and the A-3).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Cartagena?
About 4 hr 55 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 2 stops of 20 minutes, about 5 hr 35 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Cartagena?
In a straight line, near Lezuza (Albacete). By road, 225 km from each city, near Montalvos (Albacete).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Cartagena?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Cartagena sits at 5 m (16 ft).
Which direction is Cartagena from Madrid?
Southeast: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 142° (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.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
- Madrid to Murcia 349 km straight line · 397 km by road · 4 hr 25 min Murcia, 44.3 km from Cartagena
- Madrid to Alicante 360 km straight line · 420 km by road · 4 hr 35 min Alicante, 93.7 km from Cartagena
- Madrid to Benidorm 371 km straight line · 460 km by road · 5 hr 5 min Benidorm, 128 km from Cartagena
- Madrid to Almería 411 km straight line · 543 km by road · 6 hr 15 min Almería, 156 km from Cartagena
More distances from Madrid
All distances- Madrid to Marbella 446 km straight line · 583 km by road · 6 hr 35 min
- Madrid to Palma de Mallorca 550 km straight line · 1 hr 10 min flight
- Madrid to Ibiza 471 km straight line · 1 hr 5 min flight
- Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1,737 km straight line · 2 hr 40 min flight
- Madrid to Santa Cruz de Tenerife 1,754 km straight line · 2 hr 40 min flight
- Madrid to Rome 1,368 km straight line · 1,942 km by road · 21 hr
More distances from Cartagena
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)
- Location and elevation of Spanish cities (gazetteer and DEM) · Instituto Geográfico Nacional (CC BY 4.0)
- Population register, January 1, 2025 · INE (Spain)
- 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