Beijing to Washington
14h 15mgate to gate
The flight from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) covers 11,130 km (6,916 miles) and takes approximately 14h 15m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north on an initial great-circle bearing of 11°, passing near 81.8° N, 156.0° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 11° north Midpoint 81.8° N, 156.0° 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: 11,130 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 13h 50m.
- 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 15m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
11,130 km / 805 km/h = 13h 50m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 14h 15m 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 | 20h 14m | 20h 39m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 14h 16m | 14h 41m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 12h 22m | 12h 47m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 13h 06m | 13h 31m |
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 | DCA | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Beijing Capital International Airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport |
| City | Beijing | Washington |
| Country | China | United States |
| ICAO | ZBAA | KDCA |
| Coordinates | 40.0773, 116.5967 | 38.8521, -77.0377 |
| Elevation | 116 ft | 15 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 Washington?
A non-stop flight from Beijing (PEK) to Washington (DCA) takes about 14h 15m. The great-circle distance is 11,130 km (6,916 miles, 6,010 nautical miles), flying north on an initial bearing of 11°.
How far is Beijing from Washington?
11,130 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 6,916 miles or 6,010 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 DCA?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 11,130 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 15m 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.
