Los Angeles to Rio De Janeiro
13h 01mgate to gate
The flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Rio Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport (GIG) covers 10,139 km (6,300 miles) and takes approximately 13h 01m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads south-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 117°, passing near 7.0° N, 78.5° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 117° south-east Midpoint 7.0° N, 78.5° 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: 10,139 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 12h 36m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 13h 01m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
10,139 km / 805 km/h = 12h 36m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 13h 01m 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 | 18h 26m | 18h 51m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 13h 00m | 13h 25m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 11h 16m | 11h 41m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 11h 56m | 12h 21m |
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
| LAX | GIG | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Los Angeles International Airport | Rio Galeão – Tom Jobim International Airport |
| City | Los Angeles | Rio De Janeiro |
| Country | United States | Brazil |
| ICAO | KLAX | SBGL |
| Coordinates | 33.9425, -118.408 | -22.81, -43.2506 |
| Elevation | 125 ft | 28 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 Los Angeles to Rio De Janeiro?
A non-stop flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Rio De Janeiro (GIG) takes about 13h 01m. The great-circle distance is 10,139 km (6,300 miles, 5,474 nautical miles), flying south-east on an initial bearing of 117°.
How far is Los Angeles from Rio De Janeiro?
10,139 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 6,300 miles or 5,474 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 LAX and GIG?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 10,139 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 13h 01m 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.
