San Francisco to Portland distance
San Francisco and Portland are 535 miles (861 km) apart in a straight line and 635 miles (1,023 km) apart by road: about 12 hr 15 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-505 and I-5. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the approximate flight time and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 635 mi (1,023 km)
- Driving time
- 12 hr 15 min
- Straight line
- 535 mi (861 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 | 535 mi (861 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 635 mi (1,023 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 12 hr 15 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +19% 1.19 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 52 mph (83 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 359° (north) leaving San Francisco toward Portland |
| Midpoint | 41.6506° N, 122.5401° W near Grenada (California) |
| Halfway by road | Near Hornbrook (California) 318 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Approximate flight | 1 hr 35 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h |
| Elevation | San Francisco: 55 ft (17 m) · Portland: 32 ft (10 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | San Francisco: 826,079 · Portland: 635,109 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
San Francisco to Portland by road
The fastest driving route is 635 miles (1,023 km) long and takes about 12 hr 15 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-505 (358 mi), I-5 (218 mi), and I-80 (53.7 mi).
It goes through 2 states: California (329 mi) and Oregon (302 mi). That’s an average of 52 mph (83 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 6 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 14 hr 15 min. At about 8 hours behind the wheel a day, it’s a 2-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, San Francisco and Portland are 535 miles (861 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 19% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 119. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 22nd for detour (the average is 16%).
From San Francisco, Portland lies to the north (bearing 359°), and from Portland, San Francisco lies to the south.
Halfway between San Francisco and Portland
Halfway along the straight line, 267 miles (430 km) from each city, is the point 41.6506° N, 122.5401° W. It falls near Grenada (California, pop. 254), 1.0 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 318 miles (511 km) from each city, near Hornbrook (California, pop. 268), 7.1 mi away. The two midpoints are 10.7 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
San Francisco and Portland share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
A direct flight would take about 1 hr 35 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 861 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
San Francisco and Portland sit at almost the same elevation: 55 ft (17 m) and 32 ft (10 m).
San Francisco has 826,079 people and Portland 635,109 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from San Francisco to Portland?
535 miles (861 km) in a straight line and 635 miles (1,023 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-505 and I-5).
How long is the drive from San Francisco to Portland?
About 12 hr 15 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 6 stops of 20 minutes, about 14 hr 15 min.
Where is the halfway point between San Francisco and Portland?
In a straight line, near Grenada (California). By road, 318 mi from each city, near Hornbrook (California).
How long is the flight from San Francisco to Portland?
About 1 hr 35 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (861 km): 30 minutes for takeoff and landing plus the trip at 800 km/h. Real flight times vary with wind and routing.
Are San Francisco and Portland in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
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.
More distances from San Francisco
All distances- San Francisco to San Diego 458 mi straight line · 501 mi by road · 9 hr 25 min
- New York to San Francisco 2,572 mi straight line · 2,910 mi by road · 51 hr 15 min
- San Francisco to Honolulu 2,397 mi straight line · 5 hr 20 min flight
- Los Angeles to San Francisco 347 mi straight line · 382 mi by road · 7 hr 10 min
- San Francisco to Las Vegas 418 mi straight line · 568 mi by road · 10 hr 35 min
- San Francisco to Sacramento 75.0 mi straight line · 87.4 mi by road · 1 hr 50 min
More distances from Portland
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