Madrid to Mérida distance
Madrid and Mérida are 282 km (175 mi) apart in a straight line and 345 km (214 mi) apart by road: about 3 hr 50 min of driving without stops, mostly on the A-5. 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
- 345 km (214 mi)
- Driving time
- 3 hr 50 min
- Straight line
- 282 km (175 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 | 282 km (175 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 345 km (214 mi) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 3 hr 50 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +22% 1.22 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 90 km/h (56 mph) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 235° (southwest) leaving Madrid toward Mérida |
| Midpoint | 39.6755° N, 5.0332° W near La Nava de Ricomalillo (Toledo) |
| Halfway by road | Near El Gordo (Cáceres) 172 km from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Elevation | Madrid: 645 m (2,116 ft) · Mérida: 220 m (722 ft) IGN (Spain) |
| Population | Madrid: 3,506,730 · Mérida: 60,225 INE population register, January 1, 2025 |
Madrid to Mérida by road
The fastest driving route is 345 km (214 mi) long and takes about 3 hr 50 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on the A-5: 326 km of 345 km.
It goes through 3 autonomous communities: the Community of Madrid (40.9 km), Castilla–La Mancha (135 km), and Extremadura (169 km). That’s an average of 90 km/h (56 mph). Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) recommends a break every two hours or 200 km: with 1 stop of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 4 hr 10 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 Mérida are 282 km (175 mi) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 22% longer: for every 100 km in a straight line you drive 122. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 120 Spanish driving pairs in this series, it ranks 61st for detour (the average is 24%).
From Madrid, Mérida lies to the southwest (bearing 235°), and from Mérida, Madrid lies to the northeast.
Halfway between Madrid and Mérida
Halfway along the straight line, 141 km (87.7 mi) from each city, is the point 39.6755° N, 5.0332° W. It falls near La Nava de Ricomalillo (Toledo, pop. 514), 4.6 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, pop. 83,803), 35.8 km away.
By road, the halfway point is 172 km (107 mi) from each city, near El Gordo (Cáceres, pop. 363), 3.5 km away. The nearest town of 20,000 people or more is Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, pop. 83,803), 45.6 km away. The two midpoints are 37.1 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 Mérida at 220 m (722 ft), 425 m (1,394 ft) lower.
Madrid has 3.5 million people and Mérida 60,225 people (INE population register, January 1, 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Mérida?
282 km (175 mi) in a straight line and 345 km (214 mi) by road on the fastest route (mostly on the A-5).
How long is the drive from Madrid to Mérida?
About 3 hr 50 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 1 stop of 20 minutes, about 4 hr 10 min.
Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Mérida?
In a straight line, near La Nava de Ricomalillo (Toledo). By road, 172 km from each city, near El Gordo (Cáceres).
Which city is higher, Madrid or Mérida?
Madrid, at 645 m (2,116 ft); Mérida sits at 220 m (722 ft).
Which direction is Mérida from Madrid?
Southwest: the straight line leaves Madrid on a bearing of 235° (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 Badajoz 329 km straight line · 402 km by road · 4 hr 25 min Badajoz, 54.3 km from Mérida
- Madrid to Cáceres 252 km straight line · 300 km by road · 3 hr 20 min Cáceres, 62.0 km from Mérida
- Madrid to Seville 391 km straight line · 534 km by road · 5 hr 55 min Seville, 172 km from Mérida
- Madrid to Córdoba 296 km straight line · 394 km by road · 4 hr 30 min Córdoba, 179 km from Mérida
More distances from Madrid
All distances- Madrid to Jerez de la Frontera 466 km straight line · 622 km by road · 6 hr 55 min
- Madrid to Cartagena 391 km straight line · 451 km by road · 4 hr 55 min
- Madrid to Marbella 446 km straight line · 583 km by road · 6 hr 35 min
- Madrid to Benidorm 371 km straight line · 460 km by road · 5 hr 5 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
More distances from Mérida
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