Driving from Cape Town to Durban
Durban lies 1,272 km (790 mi) east of Cape Town, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 19 h 24 min without stops, over roughly 1,552 km (964 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
| Cape Town | Durban | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Population | 4.8 million | 3.3 million |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) | UTC+2 (Africa/Johannesburg) |
| Postal codes | 7100–8160 | 3611–4362 |
Where to book car hire from Cape Town to Durban
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 Durban
Our booking partner lists 1,285+ places to stay in Durban (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 667 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (404), and 18 are five-star. Across 563 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.2 out of 10. Guests have left 320,890 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Durban
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 Durban from Cape Town?
1,272 km (790 mi) in a straight line, east of Cape Town; by road roughly 1,552 km (964 mi).
How long does it take to get from Cape Town to Durban by car?
About 19 h 24 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Cape Town and Durban?
No, both are on Africa/Johannesburg at the moment.
Where can I stay in Durban?
Our booking partner lists 1,285+ places to stay in Durban, 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.