How to use the road trip time calculator
- Enter the distance and choose miles or kilometers.
- Enter your average driving speed in the matching unit (miles per hour or kilometers per hour). Use your speed while moving, which is usually lower than the speed limit on slow roads.
- Enter the number of stops and the minutes per stop. Add a departure date and time to see when you arrive.
- Read the total trip time, the driving time, the time at stops and your arrival.
Formula
Driving time = distance / average speed, rounded to the minute
Time at stops = stops x minutes per stop
Total time = driving time + time at stops
Arrival = departure + total time
The arrival is in the time zone of your departure. If you cross zones, add or subtract the difference yourself.
420 miles at 60 mph with two 20 minute stops
420 / 60 = 7 hours of driving, plus 2 x 20 = 40 minutes of stops, is 7 hours 40 minutes in total. Leaving at 8:00 AM on Friday, November 20, 2026, you arrive at 3:40 PM that day. Counting the stops, your average speed is 54.8 mph.
A long one: 1,200 km at 62 km/h is 1,161 minutes (19 hours 21 minutes) of driving, and 6 stops of 30 minutes is 3 hours, for 22 hours 21 minutes in all. Leaving at 8:00 AM on Friday, you arrive at 6:21 AM on Saturday, November 21, 2026. Without a start time, 350.5 miles at 55 mph with 3 stops of 15 minutes takes 7 hours 07 minutes.
Pick a realistic average speed
The speed limit is not your average. City sections, construction, traffic and hills all pull the average down, and a fuel or food stop adds time that you can plan separately. Many drivers use a moving average a little under the speed limit on highways and a lot less in towns. A past trip of the same kind gives you the best number: divide its distance by its driving time.
To plan fuel on a long drive, use the Road Trip Fuel Stops Calculator, which tells you how many stops a tank allows, and then count those stops here. The Fuel Cost Calculator prices the gas.
Time zones and long days
If you cross a time zone, your clock arrival differs from the one shown by the change in hours. Add an hour when you go east and subtract one when you go west, or use the Time Zone Converter for the exact zone. For flights, the Flight Arrival Time Calculator handles offsets directly. Long days behind the wheel call for rest as well as breaks, so leave room in the plan, and see the Trip Budget Planner for costs.
Assumptions and limits
- The average speed is steady for the whole drive and is a moving average, not a speed limit.
- Each stop takes the same number of minutes.
- The arrival is in the time zone where you leave.
- Nothing you enter is sent or stored.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out how long a road trip will take?
Divide the distance by your average speed for the driving time, then add the time you spend at stops. 420 miles at 60 mph is 7 hours, and two 20 minute stops make it 7 hours 40 minutes.
What average speed should I use?
Use your moving average, which is lower than the speed limit when there are towns, traffic or hills. A comparable past trip gives the best figure.
How do I find the arrival time?
Enter a departure date and time. The tool adds the total trip time and shows the arrival with its date, including trips that run into the next day.
Does it handle changes in time zones?
No. The arrival is in the time zone of the place you leave. Add or subtract the time difference if you cross zones.