Distance between Sydney and Cairns
The distance from Sydney to Cairns is 2,411 kilometers by road including 194 kilometers on motorways. Road takes approximately 27 hours and 20 minutes and goes through Charters Towers, The Rocks, Millers Point, Dawes Point, Milsons Point, North Sydney and Cammeray.
Shortest distance by air | 1,962 km ✈️ |
Car route length | 2,411 km 🚗 |
Driving time | 27 h 20 min |
Fuel amount | 192.9 L |
Fuel cost | 322.2 AUD |

Point | Distance | Time | Fuel | |
Sydney | 0 km | 00 min | 0.0 L | |
2 km, 02 min
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Millers Point | 2 km | 02 min | 0.1 L | |
A4 1 km, 00 min
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Milsons Point | 3 km | 03 min | 0.3 L | |
M1 1 km, 00 min
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North Sydney | 5 km | 04 min | 0.3 L | |
M1 1 km, 01 min
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Cammeray | 6 km | 05 min | 0.4 L | |
M1 1 km, 00 min
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Crows Nest | 7 km | 05 min | 0.5 L | |
M1 1 km, 00 min
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Naremburn | 7 km | 06 min | 0.5 L | |
M1 2 km, 01 min
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Artarmon | 9 km | 07 min | 0.7 L | |
M1 A7 1,927 km, 21 h 45 min
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Charters Towers | 1,936 km | 21 h 53 min | 153.6 L | |
A6 A1 476 km, 5 h 27 min
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Cairns | 2,411 km | 27 h 20 min | 192.8 L |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to drive from Sydney to Cairns?
Fuel cost: 322.2 AUD
This fuel cost is calculated as: (Route length 2,411 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 Sydney to Cairns?
Driving time: 27 h 20 min
This time is calculated for driving at the maximum permitted speed, taking into account traffic rules restrictions.
- 149 km with a maximum speed 110 km/h = 1 h 21 min
- 30 km with a maximum speed 100 km/h = 18 min
- 1,943 km with a maximum speed 90 km/h = 21 h 35 min
- 193 km with a maximum speed 80 km/h = 2 h 24 min
- 13 km with a maximum speed 70 km/h = 11 min
- 54 km with a maximum speed 60 km/h = 53 min
- 29 km with a maximum speed 50 km/h = 34 min
- 1 km with a maximum speed 40 km/h = 1 min
The calculated driving time does not take into account intermediate stops and traffic jams.
How far is Sydney to Cairns by land?
The distance between Sydney and Cairns is 2,411 km by road including 194 km on motorways.
Precise satellite coordinates of highways were used for this calculation. The start and finish points are the centers of Sydney and Cairns respectively.
How far is Sydney to Cairns by plane?
The shortest distance (air line, as the crow flies) between Sydney and Cairns is 1,962 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 Sydney and Cairns respectively. Actual distance between airports may be different.
How many hours is Sydney from Cairns by plane?
Boeing 737 airliner needs 2 h 27 min to cover the distance of 1,962 km at a cruising speed of 800 km/h.
Small plane "Cessna 172" needs 8 h 55 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 Sydney to Cairns?
Fast helicopter "Eurocopter AS350" or "Hughes OH-6 Cayuse" need 8 h 10 min to cover the distance of 1,962 km at a cruising speed of 240 km/h.
Popular "Robinson R44" needs 9 h 20 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 Sydney and Cairns?
The halfway point between Sydney and Cairns is Rolleston. It is located about 110 km from the exact midpoint by road.
The distance from Rolleston to Sydney is 1,316 km and driving will take about 14 h 53 min. The road between Rolleston and Cairns has length 1,096 km and will take approximately 12 h 27 min.
The other cities located close to halfway point:
Where is Sydney in relation to Cairns?
Sydney is located 1,962 km south-east of Cairns.
Sydney has geographic coordinates: latitude -33.86796, longitude 151.21005.
Cairns has geographic coordinates: latitude -16.9205, longitude 145.77189.
Which highway goes from Sydney to Cairns?
The route from Sydney to Cairns follows A7, A1, A55, B51, A15, A6, M1, 46, A39.
Other minor sections pass along the road:
- M15: 39 km
- 25: 13 km
- A2: 6 km
- B56: 2 km
- 49: 2 km
- A4: 2 km
- A38: 1 km