Last updated: March 2026
What Is the Flight Time Calculator?
Find out how long any flight takes before you book. Enter departure and arrival cities, see the estimated flight duration, distance, time zone difference, and your local arrival time. Plan multi-leg trips with layover calculations.
The calculator uses the Haversine formula (Great Circle distance) for accurate distance calculations, combined with average cruising speeds and taxi time to produce realistic flight time estimates within 10-15% of actual durations. Time zone calculations use your browser's native Intl API for full DST support.
How It Works
- Select your departure city or airport code in the From field
- Select your arrival city or airport code in the To field
- Instantly see flight time, distance, time zone difference, and jet lag indicator
- Enter a departure time to see your arrival time in local time
- Add layovers for multi-leg trip planning with up to 4 legs
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate are the flight time estimates?
Estimates use the Great Circle (Haversine) distance and an average cruising speed of 550 mph, plus 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff, and landing. They're typically within 10-15% of actual flight times. Wind patterns, jet streams, and specific routing may affect actual duration.
Does this account for layovers?
Yes. Click "Add Layover" to add connection legs. Enter the layover duration between each leg and the calculator shows total travel time including all flights and layovers.
Does the arrival time account for time zones?
Yes. The arrival time shown is in the destination's local time, fully accounting for time zone differences including Daylight Saving Time.
How many airports are in the database?
The calculator includes 500+ airports covering all major international airports across the US (top 50), Europe (80+), Asia (60+), Middle East (20), Africa (30), South America (30), Oceania (15), and the Caribbean and Central America (20+).
Can I plan multi-stop trips?
Yes. Add up to 4 flight legs with layover durations between each. The calculator shows per-leg flight times plus total travel time for the entire journey.
What is the jet lag indicator based on?
The jet lag indicator is based on the time zone difference between your departure and final destination. 1-3 hours is mild (green), 4-6 hours is moderate (yellow), and 7+ hours is severe (red).