Car hire and driving in Ürümqi
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In China traffic drives on the right. Picking up at URC means 16 km (10 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648851 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Ürümqi
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ürümqi to Changji | China | 33 km (21 mi) | about 30 min |
| Ürümqi to Wujiaqu | China | 41 km (25 mi) | about 37 min |
| Ürümqi to Shihezi | China | 137 km (85 mi) | about 2 h 5 min |
| Ürümqi to Turpan | China | 159 km (99 mi) | about 2 h 25 min |
| Ürümqi to Korla | China | 256 km (159 mi) | about 3 h 54 min |
| Ürümqi to Karamay | China | 292 km (182 mi) | about 4 h 27 min |
| Ürümqi to Xinyuan | China | 353 km (219 mi) | about 5 h 23 min |
| Ürümqi to Xincheng | China | 446 km (277 mi) | about 6 h 48 min |
| Ürümqi to Jinshanlu | China | 452 km (281 mi) | about 6 h 54 min |
| Ürümqi to Bole | China | 456 km (283 mi) | about 6 h 57 min |
| Ürümqi to Tacheng | China | 489 km (304 mi) | about 7 h 27 min |
| Ürümqi to Hami | China | 490 km (304 mi) | about 7 h 28 min |
| Ürümqi to Wuzhong | China | 1,687 km (1,048 mi) | about 25 h 44 min |
| Ürümqi to Lanzhou | China | 1,626 km (1,010 mi) | about 24 h 48 min |
| Ürümqi to Yinchuan | China | 1,668 km (1,036 mi) | about 25 h 26 min |
| Ürümqi to Xining | China | 1,440 km (895 mi) | about 21 h 57 min |
| Ürümqi to Bayan Nur | China | 1,659 km (1,031 mi) | about 25 h 18 min |
| Ürümqi to Zhongwei | China | 1,636 km (1,017 mi) | about 24 h 57 min |
| Ürümqi to Wuwei | China | 1,420 km (882 mi) | about 21 h 39 min |
| Ürümqi to Shizuishan | China | 1,652 km (1,027 mi) | about 25 h 12 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 Ürümqi?
The right, as everywhere in China.
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.