Massachusetts to Rhode Island

Distance from Boston to Providence

Straight-line distance

41.1mi

Boston, MA and Providence, RI are 41.1 miles (66.2 km) apart in a straight line. From Boston, the shortest path starts out heading SSW (210°).

kilometers
66.2
nautical miles
35.7
heading from Boston
210° SSW
heading from Providence
30° NNE
BostonProvidence

Orange line: great-circle path · ring: midpoint · thin lines: county borders

How far Boston is from Providence

The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Boston and Providence is 41.1 miles, 66.2 km or 35.7 nautical miles. That is the shortest path over the Earth's surface, computed with the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius, 6,371.0 km. A course held on one compass bearing (a rhumb line) would be 41.1 miles, practically the same at this range.

Measurements

Miles
41.1
Kilometers
66.2
Nautical miles
35.7
Bearing from Boston
210.1° SSW
Bearing arriving at Providence
209.8°
Bearing from Providence
29.8° NNE

Halfway between Boston and Providence

The great-circle midpoint is at 42.081024, -71.219363 (42°04'51.69"N 71°13'9.71"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is North Attleborough Town, MA, with 31,210 residents, 9.7 miles from the midpoint. To find towns near the midpoint of any two places, use the halfway tool.

Time zones and daylight

Both use America/New_York, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Boston gets 15 h 17 min of daylight and Providence 15 h 13 min; on December 21, 9 h 05 min and 9 h 08 min. Boston is 0.52° farther north, so it has the longer summer days and the shorter winter ones.

Population compared

Boston has 3.5 times the population of Providence. From July 2020 to July 2024, Boston changed by -0.3% and Providence by +2.0%. The trip crosses from Massachusetts into Rhode Island.

  1. 01Boston, MA673,458 (-0.3%)
  2. 02Providence, RI194,706 (+2.0%)
July 1, 2024 population and change since July 2020, Census Vintage 2024.

Questions people ask

How far is Boston from Providence?

41.1 miles, 66.2 km or 35.7 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.

Which direction is Providence from Boston?

SSW. The great-circle path leaves Boston on a bearing of 210.1° and arrives at Providence on 209.8°. The return trip starts on 29.8°.

What is halfway between Boston and Providence?

The midpoint is at 42.081024, -71.219363. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is North Attleborough Town, MA, 9.7 miles from it.

Is there a time difference between Boston and Providence?

Both use America/New_York, so there is no time difference.

Which is bigger, Boston or Providence?

Boston, with 673,458 residents in July 2024 against 194,706 for Providence, 3.5 times as many.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census 2024 Gazetteer internal points and Vintage 2024 estimates; time zones from Open-Meteo.

  1. 01Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
  2. 02Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  3. 03SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
  4. 04IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.