Distance between Mount Isa and Cairns
The distance from Mount Isa to Cairns is 1,167 kilometers by road including 3 kilometers on motorways. Road takes approximately 19 hours and 17 minutes and goes through Cloncurry, Croydon, Georgetown, Mount Surprise, Mount Garnet, Ravenshoe and Millaa Millaa.
Shortest distance by air | 785 km ✈️ |
Car route length | 1,167 km 🚗 |
Driving time | 19 h 17 min |
Fuel amount | 93.4 L |
Fuel cost | 153.2 AUD |

Point | Distance | Time | Fuel | |
Mount Isa | 0 km | 00 min | 0.0 L | |
83 117 km, 1 h 38 min
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Cloncurry | 117 km | 1 h 38 min | 8.8 L | |
83 523 km, 8 h 56 min
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Croydon | 639 km | 10 h 34 min | 50.8 L | |
1 148 km, 3 h 08 min
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Georgetown | 787 km | 13 h 43 min | 62.4 L | |
1 115 km, 1 h 50 min
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Mount Surprise | 902 km | 15 h 33 min | 69.6 L | |
1 103 km, 1 h 10 min
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Mount Garnet | 1,005 km | 16 h 43 min | 79.9 L | |
1 45 km, 32 min
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Ravenshoe | 1,051 km | 17 h 16 min | 83.4 L | |
1 24 21 km, 22 min
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Millaa Millaa | 1,072 km | 17 h 39 min | 85.7 L | |
24 25 19 km, 13 min
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Malanda | 1,091 km | 17 h 52 min | 87.0 L | |
25 52 76 km, 1 h 24 min
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Cairns | 1,167 km | 19 h 17 min | 93.2 L |
Hotels of Cairns
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to drive from Mount Isa to Cairns?
Fuel cost: 153.2 AUD
This fuel cost is calculated as: (Route length 1,167 km / 100 km) * (Fuel consumption 8 L/100 km) * (Fuel price 1.64 AUD / L)
You can adjust fuel consumption and fuel price here.
How long is a car ride from Mount Isa to Cairns?
Driving time: 19 h 17 min
This time is calculated for driving at the maximum permitted speed, taking into account traffic rules restrictions.
- 942 km with a maximum speed 90 km/h = 10 h 27 min
- 33 km with a maximum speed 80 km/h = 24 min
- 36 km with a maximum speed 60 km/h = 35 min
- 156 km with a maximum speed 20 km/h = 7 h 47 min
The calculated driving time does not take into account intermediate stops and traffic jams.
How far is Mount Isa to Cairns by land?
The distance between Mount Isa and Cairns is 1,167 km by road including 3 km on motorways.
Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Mount Isa and Cairns respectively.
How far is Mount Isa to Cairns by plane?
The shortest distance (air line, as the crow flies) between Mount Isa and Cairns is 785 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 Mount Isa and Cairns respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.
How many hours is Mount Isa from Cairns by plane?
Boeing 737 airliner needs 58 min to cover the distance of 785 km at a cruising speed of 800 km/h.
Small plane "Cessna 172" needs 3 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 Mount Isa to Cairns?
Fast helicopter "Eurocopter AS350" or "Hughes OH-6 Cayuse" need 3 h 16 min to cover the distance of 785 km at a cruising speed of 240 km/h.
Popular "Robinson R44" needs 3 h 44 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 Mount Isa and Cairns?
The halfway point between Mount Isa and Cairns is Croydon. It is located about 55 km from the exact midpoint by road.
The distance from Croydon to Mount Isa is 639 km and driving will take about 10 h 34 min. The road between Croydon and Cairns has length 528 km and will take approximately 8 h 42 min.
The other cities located close to halfway point:
Where is Mount Isa in relation to Cairns?
Mount Isa is located 785 km south-west of Cairns.
Mount Isa has geographic coordinates: latitude -20.72899, longitude 139.49315.
Cairns has geographic coordinates: latitude -16.9205, longitude 145.77189.
Which highway goes from Mount Isa to Cairns?
The route from Mount Isa to Cairns follows 1, 83, A2.
Other minor sections pass along the road:
- 52: 38 km
- 25: 19 km
- A1: 12 km
- 24: 10 km
- 84: 1 km