Car hire and driving in Townsville, QLD
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Australia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at TSV means 4 km (2 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Townsville
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Townsville to Cairns | Australia | 283 km (176 mi) | about 3 h 50 min |
| Townsville to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 1,043 km (648 mi) | about 14 h 8 min |
| Townsville to Toowoomba | Australia | 1,061 km (659 mi) | about 14 h 23 min |
| Townsville to Brisbane | Australia | 1,111 km (690 mi) | about 15 h 3 min |
| Townsville to Logan City | Australia | 1,131 km (703 mi) | about 15 h 20 min |
| Townsville to Gold Coast | Australia | 1,182 km (734 mi) | about 16 h 1 min |
| Townsville to Newcastle | Australia | 1,598 km (993 mi) | about 21 h 40 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 Townsville?
The left, as everywhere in Australia.
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.