Chicago to London
8h 21mgate to gate
The flight from Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) covers 6,377 km (3,963 miles) and takes approximately 8h 21m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 48°, passing near 55.6° N, 48.7° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 48° north-east Midpoint 55.6° N, 48.7° 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: 6,377 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 7h 55m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 8h 21m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
6,377 km / 805 km/h = 7h 55m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 8h 21m 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 | 11h 36m | 12h 01m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 8h 11m | 8h 36m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 7h 05m | 7h 30m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 7h 30m | 7h 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 | LGW | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport | London Gatwick Airport |
| City | Chicago | London |
| Country | United States | United Kingdom |
| ICAO | KORD | EGKK |
| Coordinates | 41.9786, -87.9048 | 51.1487, -0.1857 |
| Elevation | 680 ft | 202 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 London?
A non-stop flight from Chicago (ORD) to London (LGW) takes about 8h 21m. The great-circle distance is 6,377 km (3,963 miles, 3,444 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 48°.
How far is Chicago from London?
6,377 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 3,963 miles or 3,444 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 LGW?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 6,377 km the route is comfortably within range of a non-stop service if an airline chooses to fly it. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 8h 21m 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.
