Chicago to Durban
18h 23mgate to gate
The flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to King Shaka International Airport (DUR) covers 14,466 km (8,989 miles) and takes approximately 18h 23m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads east on an initial great-circle bearing of 96°, passing near 11.9° N, 20.8° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 96° east Midpoint 11.9° N, 20.8° 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: 14,466 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 17h 58m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 18h 23m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
14,466 km / 805 km/h = 17h 58m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 18h 23m 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 | 26h 18m | 26h 43m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 18h 33m | 18h 58m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 16h 04m | 16h 30m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 17h 01m | 17h 26m |
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
| ORD | DUR | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport | King Shaka International Airport |
| City | Chicago | Durban |
| Country | United States | South Africa |
| ICAO | KORD | FALE |
| Coordinates | 41.9786, -87.9048 | -29.6144, 31.1197 |
| Elevation | 680 ft | 295 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 Chicago to Durban?
A non-stop flight from Chicago (ORD) to Durban (DUR) takes about 18h 23m. The great-circle distance is 14,466 km (8,989 miles, 7,811 nautical miles), flying east on an initial bearing of 96°.
How far is Chicago from Durban?
14,466 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 8,989 miles or 7,811 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 ORD and DUR?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 14,466 km the route is at the extreme end of what any airliner can fly non-stop, so a connection is likely. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 18h 23m 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.
