Plan your trip duration, distance, and fuel costs.
Calculate Travel Time
Calculate Distance
Calculate Required Speed
Fuel Cost Estimator (Optional)
Trip Summary:
How to Use the Driving Time and Distance Calculator
Planning a road trip requires precise calculations to ensure you arrive on time and stay within your budget. This calculator uses the fundamental physics formula Distance = Speed × Time to provide accurate estimates for your journey.
Understanding the Calculation Modes
Calculate Travel Time: Enter your total distance and expected average speed to find out how many hours and minutes you will be on the road.
Calculate Distance: Enter your driving speed and how long you plan to drive to see how far you will travel.
Calculate Required Speed: If you have a specific deadline, enter your distance and time to see what average speed you must maintain.
The Importance of Average Speed
When calculating driving time, it is crucial to use an average speed rather than the maximum speed limit. Traffic lights, heavy congestion, and construction zones often lower your effective speed. For highway travel, an average of 60-65 mph is typical, while city driving might average closer to 20-30 mph.
Factoring in Fuel Costs
Our tool also helps you budget for your trip. By entering your vehicle's fuel efficiency (MPG) and the current local gas prices, you can instantly see the estimated cost of fuel for the entire distance. For example, if you drive 300 miles in a car that gets 30 MPG with gas at $3.50, your trip will cost approximately $35.00 in fuel.
Formula Reference
For those performing manual calculations, here are the formulas used by this tool:
Objective
Formula
Travel Time
Distance / Speed
Travel Distance
Speed × Time
Required Speed
Distance / Time
Tips for a Faster Trip
To reduce your driving time without speeding dangerously, consider driving during off-peak hours (avoiding 7-9 AM and 4-6 PM). Also, minimize the number of stops you make; every 15-minute gas station break adds significantly to your total travel time on long-haul journeys.
function toggleInputs() {
var mode = document.getElementById('calcMode').value;
var distGrp = document.getElementById('distanceGroup');
var speedGrp = document.getElementById('speedGroup');
var timeGrp = document.getElementById('timeGroup');
distGrp.style.display = (mode === 'time' || mode === 'speed') ? 'block' : 'none';
speedGrp.style.display = (mode === 'time' || mode === 'distance') ? 'block' : 'none';
timeGrp.style.display = (mode === 'distance' || mode === 'speed') ? 'block' : 'none';
// Reset results when mode changes
document.getElementById('resultArea').style.display = 'none';
}
function calculateTrip() {
var mode = document.getElementById('calcMode').value;
var distInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('distance').value);
var speedInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('speed').value);
var hoursInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('hours').value) || 0;
var minsInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('minutes').value) || 0;
var mpgInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('mpg').value);
var fuelPriceInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById('fuelPrice').value);
var totalTimeInHours = hoursInput + (minsInput / 60);
var resultText = "";
var calculatedDist = 0;
if (mode === 'time') {
if (isNaN(distInput) || isNaN(speedInput) || speedInput <= 0) {
alert("Please enter valid distance and speed values.");
return;
}
var totalHours = distInput / speedInput;
var h = Math.floor(totalHours);
var m = Math.round((totalHours – h) * 60);
resultText = "Estimated Time: " + h + " hours, " + m + " minutes";
calculatedDist = distInput;
}
else if (mode === 'distance') {
if (isNaN(speedInput) || totalTimeInHours <= 0) {
alert("Please enter valid speed and time values.");
return;
}
var distance = speedInput * totalTimeInHours;
resultText = "Total Distance: " + distance.toFixed(2) + " miles";
calculatedDist = distance;
}
else if (mode === 'speed') {
if (isNaN(distInput) || totalTimeInHours 0 && calculatedDist > 0) {
var totalGallons = calculatedDist / mpgInput;
var totalCost = totalGallons * fuelPriceInput;
fuelResultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Fuel Cost: $" + totalCost.toFixed(2) + " (Uses " + totalGallons.toFixed(2) + " gallons)";
fuelResultDiv.style.display = 'block';
} else {
fuelResultDiv.style.display = 'none';
}
}