California to Nevada

Distance from Elk Grove to Sparks

Straight-line distance

120.2mi

Elk Grove, CA and Sparks, NV are 120.2 miles (193.5 km) apart in a straight line. From Elk Grove, the shortest path starts out heading NE (48°).

kilometers
193.5
nautical miles
104.5
heading from Elk Grove
48° NE
heading from Sparks
229° SW
Elk GroveSparks

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

How far Elk Grove is from Sparks

The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Elk Grove and Sparks is 120.2 miles, 193.5 km or 104.5 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 120.3 miles, practically the same at this range.

Measurements

Miles
120.2
Kilometers
193.5
Nautical miles
104.5
Bearing from Elk Grove
47.7° NE
Bearing arriving at Sparks
48.7°
Bearing from Sparks
228.7° SW

Halfway between Elk Grove and Sparks

The great-circle midpoint is at 38.997425, -120.556942 (38°59'50.73"N 120°33'24.99"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Colfax, CA, with 2,058 residents, 22.3 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/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Elk Grove gets 14 h 51 min of daylight and Sparks 14 h 58 min; on December 21, 9 h 29 min and 9 h 22 min. Sparks is 1.16° farther north, so it has the longer summer days and the shorter winter ones.

Population compared

Elk Grove has 1.6 times the population of Sparks. From July 2020 to July 2024, Elk Grove changed by +3.5% and Sparks by +2.4%. The trip crosses from California into Nevada.

  1. 01Elk Grove, CA182,797 (+3.5%)
  2. 02Sparks, NV111,520 (+2.4%)
July 1, 2024 population and change since July 2020, Census Vintage 2024.

Questions people ask

How far is Elk Grove from Sparks?

120.2 miles, 193.5 km or 104.5 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.

Which direction is Sparks from Elk Grove?

NE. The great-circle path leaves Elk Grove on a bearing of 47.7° and arrives at Sparks on 48.7°. The return trip starts on 228.7°.

What is halfway between Elk Grove and Sparks?

The midpoint is at 38.997425, -120.556942. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Colfax, CA, 22.3 miles from it.

Is there a time difference between Elk Grove and Sparks?

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

Which is bigger, Elk Grove or Sparks?

Elk Grove, with 182,797 residents in July 2024 against 111,520 for Sparks, 1.6 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.