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Distance between cities

Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria distance

Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are 1,737 km (1,079 mi) apart in a straight line, the shortest route and the closest to what planes fly. There’s no road between them: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is on Gran Canaria, and the straight line crosses 1,263 km of sea. A direct flight would take about 2 hr 40 min. Below you’ll find the map, what lies under the route, the halfway point, the time difference, the arrival time and the constant-bearing route, and where every figure comes from.

By the All Map Tools Team

Map from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: the straight line and the constant-bearing line
Straight line
1,737 km (1,079 mi)
Approximate flight
2 hr 40 min
Time difference
1 hour behind
  • Straight line
  • Constant bearing (rhumb line)
  • Straight-line midpoint
Distance between two points

Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Straight line (geodesic) and rhumb line on the WGS84 ellipsoid; countries from Natural Earth.

The figures

Figure Value
Straight line 1,737 km (1,079 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid: the shortest route
Approximate flight 2 hr 40 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h
Time difference 1 hour behind Las Palmas de Gran Canaria compared with Madrid
Bearing 222° (southwest) leaving Madrid; it reaches Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 215°
Constant bearing 1,738 km (1,080 mi) rhumb line, bearing 218°: 0.1% longer
Over the sea 1,263 km (785 mi) 73% of the straight line
Flies over Spain countries under the straight line, in order (Natural Earth)
Midpoint 34.4152° N, 9.9905° W at sea, 187 km from Sidi Bouzid (Casablanca-Settat, Morocco)
Elevation Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: 5 m (16 ft) IGN (Spain)
Population Madrid: 3,506,730 · Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: 381,868 INE population register, January 1, 2025

Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in a straight line

In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are 1,737 km (1,079 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”. There’s no road between them: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is on Gran Canaria, and the straight line crosses 1,263 km of sea.

From Madrid, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria lies to the southwest (bearing 222°), and from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid lies to the northeast. The straight line reaches Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on a bearing of 215°: the bearing keeps turning along the way (7° in all), which is why the shortest route looks curved on a flat map.

If the plane kept the same bearing all the way (218°, to the southwest), it would follow the rhumb line, the one that looks straight on a Mercator map: 1,738 km (1,080 mi), almost the same, because the trip is short.

What the route flies over

Under the straight line there are 1,263 km of sea (73%) and 474 km of land, over Spain.

Planes don’t follow the line exactly: they fly along airways, chase tailwinds and avoid closed airspace, but on long flights they stay close to it.

Halfway between Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Halfway along the straight line, 868 km (540 mi) from each city, is the point 34.4152° N, 9.9905° W. It falls at sea; the nearest town is Sidi Bouzid (Casablanca-Settat, Morocco, pop. 6,741), 187 km away.

Time difference and flight

A direct flight would take about 2 hr 40 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 1,737 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.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is 1 hour behind Madrid all year (Western European Time versus Central European Time): when it’s 12:00 in Madrid, it’s 11:00 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

With that flight time, if you leave Madrid at 10:00, you land in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria around 11:40 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria time).

The two cities

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is 12.3° farther south than Madrid and 11.7° farther west. Madrid sits at 645 m (2,116 ft) and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at 5 m (16 ft). Madrid has 3.5 million people and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 381,868 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).

Frequently asked questions

How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

1,737 km (1,079 mi) in a straight line, the shortest route. There’s no road between them: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is on Gran Canaria, and the straight line crosses 1,263 km of sea.

How long is the flight from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

About 2 hr 40 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (1,737 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 Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is 1 hour behind Madrid all year: when it’s 12:00 in Madrid, it’s 11:00 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

At 34.4152° N, 9.9905° W, 868 km from each city: at sea, 187 km from Sidi Bouzid (Casablanca-Settat, Morocco).

Can you drive from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?

No: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is on Gran Canaria, and the straight line crosses 1,263 km of sea. You have to fly or go by sea.

Measure it yourself on the map

The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, find the midpoint or compare the time.

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More distances from Madrid

All distances

More distances from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Sources