Johannesburg to Los Angeles
21h 10mgate to gate
The flight from O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) covers 16,706 km (10,381 miles) and takes approximately 21h 10m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-west on an initial great-circle bearing of 293°, passing near 13.3° N, 37.6° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 293° north-west Midpoint 13.3° N, 37.6° 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: 16,706 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 20h 45m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 21h 10m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
16,706 km / 805 km/h = 20h 45m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 21h 10m 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 | 30h 23m | 30h 48m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 21h 25m | 21h 50m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 18h 34m | 18h 59m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 19h 39m | 20h 04m |
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
| JNB | LAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | O.R. Tambo International Airport | Los Angeles International Airport |
| City | Johannesburg | Los Angeles |
| Country | South Africa | United States |
| ICAO | FAOR | KLAX |
| Coordinates | -26.1401, 28.2468 | 33.9425, -118.408 |
| Elevation | 5,558 ft | 125 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 Johannesburg to Los Angeles?
A non-stop flight from Johannesburg (JNB) to Los Angeles (LAX) takes about 21h 10m. The great-circle distance is 16,706 km (10,381 miles, 9,021 nautical miles), flying north-west on an initial bearing of 293°.
How far is Johannesburg from Los Angeles?
16,706 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 10,381 miles or 9,021 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 JNB and LAX?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 16,706 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 21h 10m 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.
