how far is the Moon from Earth

The Moon is about 238,900 miles from Earth on average, or about 384,400 kilometers. It’s not a fixed distance because the Moon’s orbit is slightly oval.

Key takeaways

• Average distance is about 238,900 miles.
• In kilometers, that’s about 384,400 km.
• The Moon gets a bit closer and farther during its orbit.
• Closest and farthest points differ by tens of thousands of miles.

Deeper dive

The Moon’s distance changes because it orbits Earth in an ellipse, not a perfect circle. At its closest, it’s roughly 225,600 miles away, and at its farthest, about 252,100 miles away. If you mean travel distance, spacecraft usually fly farther than the straight-line average because of their route.