Car hire and driving in Niigata
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Japan traffic drives on the left. Picking up at KIJ means 7 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11185210 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Niigata
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niigata to Nagaoka | Japan | 55 km (34 mi) | about 50 min |
| Niigata to Aizu-Wakamatsu | Japan | 93 km (58 mi) | about 1 h 25 min |
| Niigata to Jōetsu | Japan | 112 km (69 mi) | about 1 h 42 min |
| Niigata to Tsuruoka | Japan | 112 km (70 mi) | about 1 h 42 min |
| Niigata to Yamagata | Japan | 121 km (75 mi) | about 1 h 51 min |
| Niigata to Fukushima | Japan | 127 km (79 mi) | about 1 h 56 min |
| Niigata to Sakata | Japan | 131 km (82 mi) | about 2 h |
| Niigata to Kōriyama | Japan | 132 km (82 mi) | about 2 h |
| Niigata to Nasushiobara | Japan | 139 km (86 mi) | about 2 h 7 min |
| Niigata to Nagano | Japan | 161 km (100 mi) | about 2 h 27 min |
| Niigata to Sendai | Japan | 164 km (102 mi) | about 2 h 30 min |
| Niigata to Utsunomiya | Japan | 168 km (105 mi) | about 2 h 34 min |
| Niigata to Tokyo | Japan | 255 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 53 min |
| Niigata to Yokohama | Japan | 282 km (175 mi) | about 4 h 18 min |
| Niigata to Osaka | Japan | 479 km (298 mi) | about 7 h 18 min |
| Niigata to Nagoya | Japan | 360 km (223 mi) | about 5 h 29 min |
| Niigata to Sapporo | Japan | 604 km (376 mi) | about 9 h 13 min |
| Niigata to Fukuoka | Japan | 914 km (568 mi) | about 13 h 56 min |
| Niigata to Kawasaki | Japan | 274 km (170 mi) | about 4 h 11 min |
| Niigata to Kobe | Japan | 499 km (310 mi) | about 7 h 36 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
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.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Niigata?
The left, as everywhere in Japan.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.