What this calculator does
Average speed is total distance divided by total time, and it is the figure most people mean when they ask how fast a trip went overall. It does not care whether the speed was constant along the way: a drive with stretches of highway and stretches stuck in traffic still has one average speed, found from the total distance covered and the total time it took, start to finish.
This is different from instantaneous speed, which is whatever a speedometer reads at one moment. A car can read 120 km/h at points during a trip and still average only 60 km/h overall, because time spent stopped or crawling in traffic pulls the average down even though the peak speed was much higher.
The formula
Add the hours and minutes together into a single time in hours, then divide the total distance by that total time. The result is average speed in kilometres per hour, which this calculator also converts into miles per hour and metres per second.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Average speed | Total distance travelled divided by total time taken, in kilometres per hour. |
| Instantaneous speed | The speed at one specific moment, such as a speedometer reading, which can be higher or lower than the average. |
| Pace | The same information restated as time per kilometre instead of distance per hour, more common for running and walking than for vehicles. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Distance travelled (km) | Total distance covered over the whole trip. |
| Time taken (hours) | The whole hours making up the total time taken. |
| Time taken (minutes) | Any additional minutes, added to the hours above. |
When to use it
Checking a road trip or drive
Total distance and total time from a trip, including fuel stops and traffic, gives a realistic average speed for planning the next leg of a similar journey.
Comparing different modes of transport
Average speed puts a flight, a train journey and a drive on the same footing for a given route, even though each one varies enormously in speed at different points along the way.
Estimating arrival time from a known average
Once an average speed is established for a familiar route, dividing the remaining distance by that speed gives a reasonable estimate of the time left to travel.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How does average speed change with distance, at a fixed time?
A fixed travel time, across a range of distances covered.
| Distance travelled | Average speed | In mph |
|---|---|---|
| 50 km | 20.00 km/h | 12.43 mph |
| 100 km | 40.00 km/h | 24.85 mph |
| 150 km | 60.00 km/h | 37.28 mph |
| 240 km | 96.00 km/h | 59.65 mph |
| 300 km | 120.00 km/h | 74.56 mph |
| 500 km | 200.00 km/h | 124.27 mph |
How does average speed change with travel time, at a fixed distance?
A fixed distance, across a range of travel times.
| Time taken | Average speed |
|---|---|
| 1 h | 240.00 km/h |
| 2 h | 120.00 km/h |
| 3 h | 80.00 km/h |
| 4 h | 60.00 km/h |
| 5 h | 48.00 km/h |
| 6 h | 40.00 km/h |
Questions
Is average speed the same as top speed?
No. Top speed is the highest instantaneous speed reached at any point, while average speed accounts for the whole journey, including any slower sections, stops or traffic. Average speed is almost always lower than top speed.
How do I include stopped time, like fuel or rest breaks?
Include it in the total time if the question is about the whole trip’s average speed, including stops. Exclude it if the question is specifically about average speed while moving; both are valid depending on what is being measured.
What is a typical average speed for a car trip?
It depends heavily on road type and traffic: a motorway-heavy trip with light traffic can average well over 90 km/h, while a trip through cities and towns with stops often averages 30-50 km/h, even if the car reaches much higher speeds briefly.
How is this different from a running pace calculator?
A running pace calculator typically works in minutes and seconds per kilometre, tuned for foot races and training runs. This calculator works in kilometres per hour and suits any mode of travel, from walking to driving to flying.
For running or walking pace in minutes per kilometre, and solving for pace, time or distance individually, see the pace calculator.