Distance between Brisbane and Cairns
The distance from Brisbane to Cairns is 1,703 kilometers by road including 169 kilometers on motorways. Road takes approximately 19 hours and 35 minutes and goes through Gympie, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Windsor, Bald Hills, Griffin and Dakabin.
Shortest distance by air | 1,390 km ✈️ |
Car route length | 1,703 km 🚗 |
Driving time | 19 h 35 min |
Fuel amount | 136.2 L |
Fuel cost | 227.5 AUD |

Point | Distance | Time | Fuel | |
Brisbane | 0 km | 00 min | 0.0 L | |
15 4 km, 03 min
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Windsor | 4 km | 03 min | 0.3 L | |
M7 A3 15 km, 11 min
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Bald Hills | 19 km | 15 min | 1.5 L | |
M3 M1 5 km, 03 min
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Griffin | 25 km | 18 min | 1.7 L | |
M1 5 km, 03 min
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Dakabin | 30 km | 21 min | 2.2 L | |
M1 9 km, 05 min
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Burpengary East | 39 km | 27 min | 3.0 L | |
M1 131 km, 1 h 15 min
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Gympie | 170 km | 1 h 43 min | 12.9 L | |
A1 81 km, 59 min
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Maryborough | 251 km | 2 h 42 min | 19.7 L | |
A1 383 km, 4 h 28 min
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Rockhampton | 634 km | 7 h 11 min | 50.5 L | |
A1 1,069 km, 12 h 23 min
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Cairns | 1,703 km | 19 h 35 min | 136.1 L |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to drive from Brisbane to Cairns?
Fuel cost: 227.5 AUD
This fuel cost is calculated as: (Route length 1,703 km / 100 km) * (Fuel consumption 8 L/100 km) * (Fuel price 1.67 AUD / L)
You can adjust fuel consumption and fuel price here.
How long is a car ride from Brisbane to Cairns?
Driving time: 19 h 35 min
This time is calculated for driving at the maximum permitted speed, taking into account traffic rules restrictions.
- 96 km with a maximum speed 110 km/h = 52 min
- 61 km with a maximum speed 100 km/h = 36 min
- 1,021 km with a maximum speed 90 km/h = 11 h 20 min
- 470 km with a maximum speed 80 km/h = 5 h 52 min
- 21 km with a maximum speed 70 km/h = 17 min
- 27 km with a maximum speed 60 km/h = 27 min
- 6 km with a maximum speed 50 km/h = 7 min
The calculated driving time does not take into account intermediate stops and traffic jams.
How far is Brisbane to Cairns by land?
The distance between Brisbane and Cairns is 1,703 km by road including 169 km on motorways.
Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Brisbane and Cairns respectively.
How far is Brisbane to Cairns by plane?
The shortest distance (air line, as the crow flies) between Brisbane and Cairns is 1,390 km.
This distance is calculated using the Haversine formula as a great-circle distance between two points on the surface of a sphere. The start and finish points are the centers of Brisbane and Cairns respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.
How many hours is Brisbane from Cairns by plane?
Boeing 737 airliner needs 1 h 44 min to cover the distance of 1,390 km at a cruising speed of 800 km/h.
Small plane "Cessna 172" needs 6 h 19 min to flight this distance at average speed of 220 km/h.
This time is approximate and do not take into account takeoff and landing times, airport location and other real world factors.
How long is a helicopter ride from Brisbane to Cairns?
Fast helicopter "Eurocopter AS350" or "Hughes OH-6 Cayuse" need 5 h 47 min to cover the distance of 1,390 km at a cruising speed of 240 km/h.
Popular "Robinson R44" needs 6 h 37 min to flight this distance at average speed of 210 km/h.
This time is approximate and do not take into account takeoff and landing times, aerodrome location and other real world factors.
What city is halfway between Brisbane and Cairns?
The halfway point between Brisbane and Cairns is Joyview. It is located about 1 km from the exact midpoint by road.
The distance from Joyview to Brisbane is 852 km and driving will take about 9 h 44 min. The road between Joyview and Cairns has length 850 km and will take approximately 9 h 51 min.
The other cities located close to halfway point:
Where is Brisbane in relation to Cairns?
Brisbane is located 1,390 km south-east of Cairns.
Brisbane has geographic coordinates: latitude -27.46897, longitude 153.0235.
Cairns has geographic coordinates: latitude -16.9205, longitude 145.77189.
Which highway goes from Brisbane to Cairns?
The route from Brisbane to Cairns follows A1, M1.
Other minor sections pass along the road:
- 64: 14 km
- A3: 9 km
- 70: 6 km
- M3: 5 km
- M7: 4 km
- 57: 2 km
- 12: 2 km
- 15: 1 km