Chicago to Johannesburg
17h 50mgate to gate
The flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) covers 14,019 km (8,711 miles) and takes approximately 17h 50m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads east on an initial great-circle bearing of 94°, passing near 14.6° N, 21.2° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 94° east Midpoint 14.6° N, 21.2° 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: 14,019 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 17h 25m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 17h 50m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
14,019 km / 805 km/h = 17h 25m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 17h 50m 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 | 25h 29m | 25h 55m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 17h 58m | 18h 24m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 15h 35m | 16h 00m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 16h 30m | 16h 55m |
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 | JNB | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport | O.R. Tambo International Airport |
| City | Chicago | Johannesburg |
| Country | United States | South Africa |
| ICAO | KORD | FAOR |
| Coordinates | 41.9786, -87.9048 | -26.1401, 28.2468 |
| Elevation | 680 ft | 5,558 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 Johannesburg?
A non-stop flight from Chicago (ORD) to Johannesburg (JNB) takes about 17h 50m. The great-circle distance is 14,019 km (8,711 miles, 7,569 nautical miles), flying east on an initial bearing of 94°.
How far is Chicago from Johannesburg?
14,019 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 8,711 miles or 7,569 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 JNB?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 14,019 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 17h 50m 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.
