Travel Speed Calculator

Calculate average travel speed in km/h or mph from distance and time

The Travel Speed Calculator is built for one job: calculating your average travel speed for a trip segment using distance and total elapsed time. This is the number most people actually need when comparing routes, checking whether a journey time was realistic, or estimating how fast they are moving on average once stops, traffic, and slow sections are included. If you have ever looked at a map estimate and wondered whether it matches your real driving, this is the sanity check.

To use it, choose your unit system (kilometres and km/h, or miles and mph), enter your trip distance, then enter the total time taken. The time fields accept hours and minutes, and seconds are optional for more precision. Press Calculate and you will see the average speed first, followed by a pace-style figure (minutes per kilometre or minutes per mile) which is useful for quick comparisons and for spotting how changes in travel time affect your overall rate.

The main output, average speed, is computed by dividing distance by total time expressed in hours. For example, if you drove 120 km in 2 hours 30 minutes, your average speed is 120 ÷ 2.5 = 48 km/h. That average already includes any delays that were part of the total time you entered. That is the point. It tells you what you achieved overall, not what your speedometer showed at one moment on a clear road.

This calculator is intentionally not a route planner and it is not a speed limit checker. It does not estimate distance from addresses, account for elevation, wind, or changing conditions, and it does not tell you what speed you should drive. It simply turns the numbers you have into a clean average so you can compare trips fairly. If you want to check “how long will this take at 100 km/h,” that is a different intent and should use a time-from-speed tool instead.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• Your distance is the total distance actually travelled for the segment you are measuring (not the straight-line distance).
• Your time is the total elapsed time for that segment, including stops and delays, unless you intentionally exclude them.
• Average speed is calculated as distance ÷ time, with time converted to hours (minutes and seconds are converted automatically).
• Seconds are optional and default to 0 if left blank, so you can still calculate with only hours and minutes.
• This is not suitable for wind-adjusted ground speed (aviation/boating) or for instant speed readings; it is for overall trip averages.

Common questions

Why is my average speed much lower than the speed limit?

Because average speed includes everything that happened during the time window you entered: traffic, junctions, stops, slow zones, and time spent accelerating and decelerating. Speed limits describe a maximum under ideal conditions, not what you maintain door to door. If you want a higher average, the only lever is reducing total elapsed time for the same distance, which usually means fewer delays, not higher peak speed.

Should I include stops (fuel, coffee, tolls) in the time?

If you are trying to measure real end-to-end trip performance, include stops. If you are comparing moving speed only, exclude stops by using only the time you were actually in motion. Both are valid, but they answer different questions. This calculator will produce whichever average matches the time you choose to enter.

What if I only know minutes, not hours?

Enter 0 hours and put all the time into the minutes field. The calculator converts minutes into hours internally. For example, 95 minutes becomes 1.5833 hours. If you also have seconds, add them in the optional seconds field for a slightly more precise result.

Does it matter whether I use km/h or mph?

No, as long as your distance matches your chosen unit system. If you choose kilometres, enter distance in kilometres and the result will be km/h and minutes per kilometre. If you choose miles, enter distance in miles and the result will be mph and minutes per mile. Do not mix systems, or the answer will be wrong.

How can I improve accuracy if my distance is an estimate?

Use a consistent distance source. A car trip meter, a GPS track log, or a map route distance can all work, but mixing sources between trips can create misleading comparisons. For time, use a single start and end rule (for example, wheels moving to wheels stopped, or door to door) and stick to it. Accuracy comes from consistency more than precision.