Washington, DC to Ottawa distance
Washington, DC and Ottawa are 455 miles (732 km) apart in a straight line and 557 miles (896 km) apart by road: about 11 hr 25 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-81 and I-83. 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
- 557 mi (896 km)
- Driving time
- 11 hr 25 min
- Straight line
- 455 mi (732 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 | 455 mi (732 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 557 mi (896 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 11 hr 25 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +22% 1.22 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 49 mph (78 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 8° (north) leaving Washington, DC toward Ottawa |
| Midpoint | 42.1560° N, 76.4016° W near Candor (New York) |
| Halfway by road | Near New Milford (Pennsylvania) 279 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Approximate flight | 1 hr 25 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h |
| Population | Washington, DC: 693,645 · Ottawa: 1,017,449 Census Bureau estimate for 2025; GeoNames |
Washington, DC to Ottawa by road
The fastest driving route is 557 miles (896 km) long and takes about 11 hr 25 min without stops or traffic. It runs mostly on I-81 (301 mi), I-83 (73.2 mi), and NY 37 (55.3 mi).
Of the 557 mi, 501 mi are in the United States and 55.9 mi are in Canada. That’s an average of 49 mph (78 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 5 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 13 hr 5 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, Washington, DC and Ottawa are 455 miles (732 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 22% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 122. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 16 US–Canada and US–Mexico driving pairs in this series, it ranks 5th for detour (the average is 22%).
From Washington, DC, Ottawa lies to the north (bearing 8°), and from Ottawa, Washington, DC lies to the south.
Halfway between Washington, DC and Ottawa
Halfway along the straight line, 227 miles (366 km) from each city, is the point 42.1560° N, 76.4016° W. It falls near Candor (New York, pop. 739), 6.0 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 279 miles (448 km) from each city, near New Milford (Pennsylvania, pop. 796), 1.6 mi away. The two midpoints are 38.9 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Washington, DC and Ottawa share the same time all year: both are on Eastern Time.
A direct flight would take about 1 hr 25 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 732 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
Washington, DC has 693,645 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025) and Ottawa 1.0 million people (GeoNames).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Washington, DC to Ottawa?
455 miles (732 km) in a straight line and 557 miles (896 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-81 and I-83).
How long is the drive from Washington, DC to Ottawa?
About 11 hr 25 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 5 stops of 20 minutes, about 13 hr 5 min.
Where is the halfway point between Washington, DC and Ottawa?
In a straight line, near Candor (New York). By road, 279 mi from each city, near New Milford (Pennsylvania).
How long is the flight from Washington, DC to Ottawa?
About 1 hr 25 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (732 km): 30 minutes for takeoff and landing plus the trip at 800 km/h. Real flight times vary with wind and routing.
Are Washington, DC and Ottawa in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Eastern 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.
- New York to Montreal 332 mi straight line · 371 mi by road · 7 hr 35 min New York, 204 mi from Washington, DC · Montreal, 103 mi from Ottawa
- Boston to Washington, DC 395 mi straight line · 439 mi by road · 9 hr 15 min Boston, 313 mi from Ottawa
- New York to Washington, DC 204 mi straight line · 227 mi by road · 4 hr 50 min New York, 335 mi from Ottawa
More distances from Washington, DC
All distances- Philadelphia to Washington, DC 124 mi straight line · 137 mi by road · 3 hr 5 min
- Washington, DC to Baltimore 35.5 mi straight line · 38.9 mi by road · 1 hr
- Washington, DC to Richmond 95.3 mi straight line · 105 mi by road · 2 hr 5 min
- Washington, DC to Charlotte 329 mi straight line · 396 mi by road · 7 hr 35 min
- Washington, DC to Virginia Beach 152 mi straight line · 208 mi by road · 4 hr 5 min
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)
- Location and population of cities outside Spain and the US · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
- 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