Distance Between China and North America: Bering Strait and Beyond

The distance between China and North America varies dramatically depending on where you measure.

Shortest Possible Distance

~8,000 km (5,000 miles) across the Bering Strait, between the Chukchi Peninsula (Russia) and Alaska (USA). At its narrowest, the strait is only 82 km (51 miles) wide. In winter, sea ice can form a temporary "bridge."

Major City-to-City Distances

• Beijing to New York: ~10,980 km (6,822 miles) — typical great-circle flight path over the Arctic.
• Shanghai to Los Angeles: ~10,400 km (6,460 miles).
• Hong Kong to Vancouver: ~10,200 km (6,340 miles).
• Guangzhou to San Francisco: ~11,000 km (6,835 miles).

Flight Times

Nonstop flights between major Chinese and North American hubs take 11–14 hours, depending on route, winds, and aircraft. The polar route (over the Arctic) is standard for East Coast flights; trans-Pacific routes serve the West Coast.

Historical Context

The Bering Land Bridge (Beringia) connected Asia and North America during Pleistocene glacial maxima (sea levels ~120 m lower), enabling human and faunal migration ~15,000–20,000 years ago. Today, the Diomede Islands (Big Diomede/Russia, Little Diomede/USA) sit in the middle of the strait, separated by the International Date Line—just 3.8 km apart but 21 hours apart in time.

So while the continents are separated by a vast ocean, they nearly kiss at the top of the world.