Driving from Cairns to Brisbane
Brisbane lies 1,390 km (864 mi) south-east of Cairns, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 18 h 50 min without stops, over roughly 1,695 km (1,053 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
| Cairns | Brisbane | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Population | 153,075 | 2.8 million |
| Elevation | 7 m (23 ft) | 27 m (89 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+10 (Australia/Brisbane) | UTC+10 (Australia/Brisbane) |
| Postal codes | 4870 | 4000–9015 |
Where to book car hire from Cairns to Brisbane
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Brisbane
Our booking partner lists 1,111+ places to stay in Brisbane (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 600 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (325), and 77 are five-star. Across 389 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 591,002 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Brisbane
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Brisbane from Cairns?
1,390 km (864 mi) in a straight line, south-east of Cairns; by road roughly 1,695 km (1,053 mi).
How long does it take to get from Cairns to Brisbane by car?
About 18 h 50 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Cairns and Brisbane?
No, both are on Australia/Brisbane at the moment.
Where can I stay in Brisbane?
Our booking partner lists 1,111+ places to stay in Brisbane, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.