Beijing to Houston
14h 47mgate to gate
The flight from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) covers 11,556 km (7,181 miles) and takes approximately 14h 47m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 28°, passing near 68.1° N, 157.2° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 28° north-east Midpoint 68.1° N, 157.2° W Model 805 km/h + 25 min
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Take both airports' published coordinates from OurAirports — nothing here is scraped from another flight site.
- Great-circle distance by haversine on a mean earth radius of 6,371.0088 km: 11,556 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 14h 21m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 14h 47m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
11,556 km / 805 km/h = 14h 21m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 14h 47m gate to gate
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
The same route, plotted on a world grid
The strip above gives the route its length and its shape. This gives it a position: latitude and longitude only, no coastlines, because a hand-drawn coastline would be decoration pretending to be data. On a flat grid the shortest path looks bent; on a globe it is straight.
Flight time at different cruise speeds
Aircraft type, winds and routing all move the real number. This is the same distance flown at different speeds, plus the 25-minute ground and climb allowance.
| Typical of | Cruise speed | Airborne | Gate to gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop / regional | 550 km/h | 21h 01m | 21h 26m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 14h 49m | 15h 14m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 12h 50m | 13h 16m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 13h 36m | 14h 01m |
Headwinds on an eastbound long-haul routinely add 30–60 minutes; the same route westbound can be quicker. Airlines publish schedules with padding built in.
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Both airports
| PEK | IAH | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Beijing Capital International Airport | George Bush Intercontinental Airport |
| City | Beijing | Houston |
| Country | China | United States |
| ICAO | ZBAA | KIAH |
| Coordinates | 40.0773, 116.5967 | 29.9844, -95.3414 |
| Elevation | 116 ft | 97 ft |
Every figure on this plate is geometry. The shape of the earth is knowable; the airline's schedule is not.
Questions this plate answers
How long is the flight from Beijing to Houston?
A non-stop flight from Beijing (PEK) to Houston (IAH) takes about 14h 47m. The great-circle distance is 11,556 km (7,181 miles, 6,240 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 28°.
How far is Beijing from Houston?
11,556 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 7,181 miles or 6,240 nautical miles. Actual flown distance is usually 2–5% longer because aircraft follow airways, avoid weather and route around restricted airspace.
Is there a non-stop flight between PEK and IAH?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 11,556 km the route is within reach of long-range widebodies, though not every city pair is served non-stop. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 14h 47m flight?
Anything past six hours is a long-haul flight: expect at least one meal service, a significant time-zone shift, and enough sitting that circulation and hydration start to matter. Cabin altitude, dry air and disrupted sleep do more damage to a training routine than the flight itself.
Airport coordinates from OurAirports (public domain). Distance is a great-circle calculation; flight time uses the model described on the method page. Flight times are great-circle estimates for planning only — always check the airline's published schedule.
