Distance between Melbourne and Cairns
The distance from Melbourne to Cairns is 2,941 kilometers by road including 171 kilometers on motorways. Road takes approximately 33 hours and 21 minutes and goes through Dubbo, Charters Towers, Carlton, Parkville, Carlton North, Fitzroy North and Fitzroy.
| Shortest distance by air | 2,325 km ✈️ |
| Car route length | 2,941 km 🚗 |
| Driving time | 33 h 21 min |
| Fuel amount | 235.3 L |
| Fuel cost | 395.3 AUD |
| Point | Distance | Time | Fuel | |
| Melbourne | 0 km | 00 min | 0.0 L | |
|
3 km, 03 min
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| Carlton | 3 km | 03 min | 0.1 L | |
|
83 2 km, 02 min
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| Carlton North | 5 km | 05 min | 0.4 L | |
|
83 1 km, 01 min
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| Fitzroy North | 7 km | 07 min | 0.4 L | |
|
45 2 km, 01 min
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| Northcote | 9 km | 08 min | 0.6 L | |
|
45 1 km, 01 min
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| Thornbury | 10 km | 10 min | 0.8 L | |
|
45 2 km, 01 min
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| Preston | 12 km | 11 min | 0.9 L | |
|
45 A39 799 km, 9 h 03 min
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| Dubbo | 810 km | 9 h 14 min | 63.4 L | |
|
A39 A7 1,657 km, 18 h 42 min
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| Charters Towers | 2,468 km | 27 h 56 min | 196.1 L | |
|
A6 A1 476 km, 5 h 27 min
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| Cairns | 2,943 km | 33 h 23 min | 235.3 L | |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to drive from Melbourne to Cairns?
Fuel cost: 395.3 AUD
This fuel cost is calculated as: (Route length 2,941 km / 100 km) * (Fuel consumption 8 L/100 km) * (Fuel price 1.68 AUD / L)
You can adjust fuel consumption and fuel price here.
How long is a car ride from Melbourne to Cairns?
Driving time: 33 h 21 min
This time is calculated for driving at the maximum permitted speed, taking into account traffic rules restrictions.
- 125 km with a maximum speed 110 km/h = 1 h 8 min
- 43 km with a maximum speed 100 km/h = 25 min
- 2,384 km with a maximum speed 90 km/h = 26 h 29 min
- 302 km with a maximum speed 80 km/h = 3 h 46 min
- 17 km with a maximum speed 70 km/h = 14 min
- 38 km with a maximum speed 60 km/h = 38 min
- 33 km with a maximum speed 50 km/h = 39 min
The calculated driving time does not take into account intermediate stops and traffic jams.
How far is Melbourne to Cairns by land?
The distance between Melbourne and Cairns is 2,941 km by road including 171 km on motorways.
Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Melbourne and Cairns respectively.
How far is Melbourne to Cairns by plane?
The shortest distance (air line, as the crow flies) between Melbourne and Cairns is 2,325 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 Melbourne and Cairns respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.
How many hours is Melbourne from Cairns by plane?
Boeing 737 airliner needs 2 h 54 min to cover the distance of 2,325 km at a cruising speed of 800 km/h.
Small plane "Cessna 172" needs 10 h 34 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 Melbourne to Cairns?
Fast helicopter "Eurocopter AS350" or "Hughes OH-6 Cayuse" need 9 h 41 min to cover the distance of 2,325 km at a cruising speed of 240 km/h.
Popular "Robinson R44" needs 11 h 4 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 Melbourne and Cairns?
The halfway point between Melbourne and Cairns is Surat. It is located about 43 km from the exact midpoint by road.
The distance from Surat to Melbourne is 1,514 km and driving will take about 17 h 10 min. The road between Surat and Cairns has length 1,427 km and will take approximately 16 h 11 min.
The other cities located close to halfway point:
Where is Melbourne in relation to Cairns?
Melbourne is located 2,325 km south of Cairns.
Melbourne has geographic coordinates: latitude -37.81422, longitude 144.96315.
Cairns has geographic coordinates: latitude -16.9205, longitude 145.77189.
Which highway goes from Melbourne to Cairns?
The route from Melbourne to Cairns follows A7, A39, A1, B55, A55, A6.
Other minor sections pass along the road:
- M31: 87 km
- M39: 58 km
- B64: 37 km
- C363: 32 km
- C371: 20 km
- C391: 19 km
- B94: 18 km
- B76: 14 km
- 45: 9 km
- C361: 6 km
- A2: 6 km
- 49: 2 km
- 29: 2 km
- A4: 2 km
- 83: 1 km
