Sydney to Adelaide by train
Adelaide lies 1,162 km (722 mi) west of Sydney, -0.5 h on the clock. What the numbers say about getting there.
By rail the journey is about 16 h 42 min at the speeds typical of Australia rail, over roughly 1,418 km (881 mi) of track; the operator’s timetable is the number that counts.
| Sydney | Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Population | 5.6 million | 1.5 million |
| Elevation | 58 m (190 ft) | 59 m (194 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+10 (Australia/Sydney) | UTC+9:30 (Australia/Adelaide) |
| Stations on record | none listed | North Haven railway station |
| Postal codes | 1001–2001 | 5000–5839 |
Clocks in Adelaide are 30 min behind Sydney right now, so a 16 h 42 min journey lands only 16 h 12 min later by the destination clock.
Where to book trains from Sydney to Adelaide
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Staying in Adelaide
Our booking partner lists 490 places to stay in Adelaide. Of the 360 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (182), and 37 are five-star. Across 198 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.4 out of 10. Guests have left 283,609 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Adelaide
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 Adelaide from Sydney?
1,162 km (722 mi) in a straight line, west of Sydney; by road roughly 1,418 km (881 mi).
How long does it take to get from Sydney to Adelaide by train?
About 16 h 42 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Sydney and Adelaide?
Adelaide is 30 min behind at the moment (Australia/Adelaide against Australia/Sydney).
Where can I stay in Adelaide?
Our booking partner lists 490 places to stay in Adelaide, 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 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.