Driving from Preston to Manchester
Manchester lies 44 km (27 mi) south-east of Preston, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
Driving takes about 40 min without stops, over roughly 54 km (33 mi) of road; add breaks, fuel and any border.
Open Manchester in Google Maps
| Preston | Manchester | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Population | 313,332 | 568,996 |
| Elevation | 34 m (112 ft) | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+1 (Europe/London) | UTC+1 (Europe/London) |
| Postal codes | BN1–TQ12 | M1–M99 |
Where to book car hire from Preston to Manchester
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 Manchester
Our booking partner lists 2,251+ places to stay in Manchester (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 578 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (407), and 19 are five-star. Across 417 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 721,007 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Manchester
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 Manchester from Preston?
44 km (27 mi) in a straight line, south-east of Preston; by road roughly 54 km (33 mi).
How long does it take to get from Preston to Manchester by car?
About 40 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Preston and Manchester?
No, both are on Europe/London at the moment.
Where can I stay in Manchester?
Our booking partner lists 2,251+ places to stay in Manchester, 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.