Car hire and driving in Sapporo
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 CTS means 43 km (27 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 Sapporo
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo to Otaru | Japan | 31 km (19 mi) | about 29 min |
| Sapporo to Tomakomai | Japan | 52 km (32 mi) | about 48 min |
| Sapporo to Asahikawa | Japan | 113 km (70 mi) | about 1 h 44 min |
| Sapporo to Obihiro | Japan | 152 km (94 mi) | about 2 h 19 min |
| Sapporo to Hakodate | Japan | 152 km (95 mi) | about 2 h 19 min |
| Sapporo to Kitami | Japan | 221 km (137 mi) | about 3 h 22 min |
| Sapporo to Kushiro | Japan | 246 km (153 mi) | about 3 h 45 min |
| Sapporo to Aomori | Japan | 255 km (159 mi) | about 3 h 54 min |
| Sapporo to Hirosaki | Japan | 284 km (177 mi) | about 4 h 20 min |
| Sapporo to Hachinohe | Japan | 286 km (178 mi) | about 4 h 21 min |
| Sapporo to Morioka | Japan | 375 km (233 mi) | about 5 h 43 min |
| Sapporo to Akita | Japan | 386 km (240 mi) | about 5 h 54 min |
| Sapporo to Tokyo | Japan | 833 km (517 mi) | about 12 h 42 min |
| Sapporo to Yokohama | Japan | 861 km (535 mi) | about 13 h 8 min |
| Sapporo to Osaka | Japan | 1,059 km (658 mi) | about 16 h 9 min |
| Sapporo to Nagoya | Japan | 957 km (594 mi) | about 14 h 35 min |
| Sapporo to Fukuoka | Japan | 1,418 km (881 mi) | about 21 h 37 min |
| Sapporo to Kawasaki | Japan | 851 km (529 mi) | about 12 h 58 min |
| Sapporo to Kobe | Japan | 1,073 km (667 mi) | about 16 h 22 min |
| Sapporo to Kyoto | Japan | 1,016 km (631 mi) | about 15 h 30 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 Sapporo?
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 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.