California to Nevada

Distance from Modesto to Sparks

Straight-line distance

150.8mi

Modesto, CA and Sparks, NV are 150.8 miles (242.7 km) apart in a straight line. From Modesto, the shortest path starts out heading NNE (27°).

kilometers
242.7
nautical miles
131.0
heading from Modesto
27° NNE
heading from Sparks
208° SSW
ModestoSparks

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

How far Modesto is from Sparks

The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Modesto and Sparks is 150.8 miles, 242.7 km or 131.0 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 150.8 miles, practically the same at this range.

Measurements

Miles
150.8
Kilometers
242.7
Nautical miles
131.0
Bearing from Modesto
27.1° NNE
Bearing arriving at Sparks
27.9°
Bearing from Sparks
207.9° SSW

Halfway between Modesto and Sparks

The great-circle midpoint is at 38.607664, -120.367791 (38°36'27.59"N 120°22'4.05"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Placerville, CA, with 10,695 residents, 24.7 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/Los_Angeles, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Modesto gets 14 h 46 min of daylight and Sparks 14 h 58 min; on December 21, 9 h 34 min and 9 h 22 min. Sparks is 1.94° farther north, so it has the longer summer days and the shorter winter ones.

Population compared

Modesto has 2.0 times the population of Sparks. From July 2020 to July 2024, Modesto changed by +0.9% and Sparks by +2.4%. The trip crosses from California into Nevada.

  1. 01Modesto, CA220,592 (+0.9%)
  2. 02Sparks, NV111,520 (+2.4%)
July 1, 2024 population and change since July 2020, Census Vintage 2024.

Questions people ask

How far is Modesto from Sparks?

150.8 miles, 242.7 km or 131.0 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.

Which direction is Sparks from Modesto?

NNE. The great-circle path leaves Modesto on a bearing of 27.1° and arrives at Sparks on 27.9°. The return trip starts on 207.9°.

What is halfway between Modesto and Sparks?

The midpoint is at 38.607664, -120.367791. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Placerville, CA, 24.7 miles from it.

Is there a time difference between Modesto and Sparks?

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

Which is bigger, Modesto or Sparks?

Modesto, with 220,592 residents in July 2024 against 111,520 for Sparks, 2.0 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.