Distances and driving times to Ballarat, Victoria

The drive to Ballarat is fairly short from Melbourne, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Daylesford and Geelong. But it’s more than two hours from Echuca, Albury, Adelaide, Mallacoota and Mildura.

After Melbourne and Geelong, Ballarat is the third largest city in Victoria. There are plenty of things to do in Ballarat which make it a worthwhile stop on a road trip around Victoria. The clear highlight is the Sovereign Hill open air museum, but the Ballarat Wildlife Park is worth a look too.

Koala at Ballarat Wildlife Park. Photo courtesy of Visit Victoria.

But whether the drive to Ballarat is worth making depends largely on where you’re coming from. The drive from Melbourne, Melton or Bendigo to Ballarat is fairly simple. The drive from Great Ocean Road towns such as Lorne or Warrnambool to Ballarat isn’t exactly arduous. But Mildura to Ballarat? Or Adelaide to Ballarat? Or Albury to Ballarat? Well, that’s a considerably bigger undertaking.

4 Ballarat experiences to book in advance ⬇️

Sovereign Hill tickets – visit Australia’s best open air museum. Give it a full day, too – there’s so much to see and do.
Ballarat Wildlife Park entry – meet loads of cute native Aussie animals.
Kryal Castle admission – enjoy a bizarre knights in armour theme park.
Beer-making course – learn to brew, with tastings and lunch thrown in.

Australia Travel Questions has collated the driving distances and times to Ballarat from other key destinations, such as Lorne, Halls Gap, Stawell, Daylesford and Echuca. That way, you can judge for yourself whether it’s worth shoehorning into the itinerary. All distances and times are based on data from Google Maps.

Driving times to Ballarat, Victoria: Short drives

Melbourne to Ballarat: Distance 116km, driving time 1h22m.
Ararat to Ballarat: Distance 93km, driving time 1h4m.
Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat: Distance 60km, driving time 44m.
Ballan to Ballarat: Distance 37km, driving time 28m.
Bendigo to Ballarat: Distance 119km, driving time 1h33m. (More Bendigo road trips).
Castlemaine to Ballarat: Distance 88km, driving time 1h17m.
Daylesford to Ballarat: Distance 46km, driving time 38m
Geelong to Ballarat: Distance 87km, driving time 1h8m. (More Geelong road trips).
Halls Gap to Ballarat: Distance 142km, driving time 1h40m.
Kyneton to Ballarat: Distance 83km, driving time 1h6m.
Lorne to Ballarat: Distance 134km, driving time 1h44m.
Melton to Ballarat: Distance 73km, driving time 48m.
Stawell to Ballarat: Distance 124km, driving time 1h26m.
Warrnambool to Ballarat: Distance 172km, driving time 2h6m.

Distances to Ballarat from elsewhere in Victoria

Bairnsdale to Ballarat: Distance 394km, driving time 4h39m.
Beechworth to Ballarat: Distance 343km, driving time 3h54m.
Echuca to Ballarat: Distance 212km, driving time 2h34m. (More Echuca road trips).
Horsham to Ballarat: Distance 188km, driving time 2h7m.
Leongatha to Ballarat: Distance 246km, driving time 2h58m.
Warragul to Ballarat: Distance 217km, driving time 2h33m.
Mallacoota to Ballarat: Distance 626km, driving time 7h9m.
Mildura to Ballarat: Distance 448km, driving time 4h58m.
Shepparton to Ballarat: Distance 283km, driving time 3h2m.

Interstate driving times to Ballarat

Adelaide to Ballarat: Distance 614km, driving time 6h46m. (More road trips from Adelaide).
Albury to Ballarat: Distance 418km, driving time 4h17m.
Canberra to Ballarat: Distance 755km, driving time 7h39m.
Mount Gambier to Ballarat: Distance 301km, driving time 3h27m.
Sydney to Ballarat: Distance 970km, driving time 9h36m.

Guides to Victorian towns and cities