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Distance between cities

Madrid to Santiago de Chile distance

Madrid and Santiago de Chile are 10,682 km (6,638 mi) apart in a straight line, the shortest route and the closest to what planes fly. There’s no road between them: the straight line crosses 5,683 km of sea, 53% of the way. A direct flight would take about 13 hr 50 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 Santiago de Chile: the straight line and the constant-bearing line
Straight line
10,682 km (6,638 mi)
Approximate flight
13 hr 50 min
Time difference (Jan / Jul)
4 / 6 hours 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 10,682 km (6,638 mi) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid: the shortest route
Approximate flight 13 hr 50 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h
Time difference 4 hours behind in January · 6 hours behind in July Santiago de Chile compared with Madrid
Bearing 231° (southwest) leaving Madrid; it reaches Santiago de Chile on 225°
Constant bearing 10,703 km (6,651 mi) rhumb line, bearing 220°: 0.2% longer
Over the sea 5,683 km (3,532 mi) 53% of the straight line
Flies over Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile countries under the straight line, in order (Natural Earth)
Midpoint 4.1890° N, 38.8978° W at sea, 794 km from Acaraú (Ceará, Brazil)
Population Madrid: 3,506,730 · Santiago de Chile: 4,837,295 INE population register, January 1, 2025; GeoNames

Madrid to Santiago de Chile in a straight line

In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Madrid and Santiago de Chile are 10,682 km (6,638 mi) apart, 27% of the way around the Earth at the equator. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”. There’s no road between them: the straight line crosses 5,683 km of sea, 53% of the way.

From Madrid, Santiago de Chile lies to the southwest (bearing 231°), and from Santiago de Chile, Madrid lies to the northeast. The straight line reaches Santiago de Chile on a bearing of 225°: the bearing keeps turning along the way (6° in all), which is why the shortest route looks curved on a flat map.

If the plane kept the same bearing all the way (220°, to the southwest), it would follow the rhumb line, the one that looks straight on a Mercator map: 10,703 km (6,651 mi), 21.0 km more (0.2% longer).

What the route flies over

Under the straight line there are 5,683 km of sea (53%) and 4,999 km of land. In order, from Madrid: 385 km over Spain, 175 km over Portugal, 2,544 km over Brazil, 460 km over Paraguay, 1,350 km over Argentina, and 85.0 km over Chile.

It crosses the equator. 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 Santiago de Chile

Halfway along the straight line, 5,341 km (3,319 mi) from each city, is the point 4.1890° N, 38.8978° W. It falls at sea; the nearest town is Acaraú (Ceará, Brazil, pop. 63,104), 794 km away.

Time difference and flight

A direct flight would take about 13 hr 50 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 10,682 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. Westbound flights usually take a little longer than eastbound ones because of high-altitude winds (the jet stream).

In January, Santiago de Chile is 4 hours behind Madrid; in July, 6 hours behind Madrid. It changes because they don’t switch to summer time together (in the Southern Hemisphere, summer is in January).

With that flight time, if you leave Madrid at 10:00, you land in Santiago de Chile around 19:50 (Santiago de Chile time) in January and around 17:50 in July.

The two cities

Santiago de Chile is 73.9° farther south than Madrid and 67.0° farther west. Madrid has 3.5 million people (INE population register, January 1, 2025) and Santiago de Chile 4.8 million people (GeoNames).

Frequently asked questions

How many kilometers is it from Madrid to Santiago de Chile?

10,682 km (6,638 mi) in a straight line, the shortest route. There’s no road between them: the straight line crosses 5,683 km of sea, 53% of the way.

How long is the flight from Madrid to Santiago de Chile?

About 13 hr 50 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (10,682 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 Santiago de Chile?

It depends on the season: 4 hours behind in January and 6 hours behind in July (Santiago de Chile compared with Madrid).

Where is the halfway point between Madrid and Santiago de Chile?

At 4.1890° N, 38.8978° W, 5,341 km from each city: at sea, 794 km from Acaraú (Ceará, Brazil).

Can you drive from Madrid to Santiago de Chile?

No: the straight line crosses 5,683 km of sea, 53% of the way. 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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Sources