The distance between Earth and Mars varies greatly due to their elliptical orbits around the Sun. On average, Mars is about 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth

. The closest theoretical approach, when Mars is at perihelion and Earth at aphelion, would be about 33.9 million miles (54.6 million kilometers), but this has never been recorded in history. The closest recorded distance was in August 2003, when Mars and Earth were 34.8 million miles (56 million kilometers) apart. Such a close approach won't occur again until the year 2237

. At their farthest, when both planets are on opposite sides of the Sun at aphelion, they can be as much as 250 million miles (401 million kilometers) apart

. Currently, as of May 2025, Mars is approximately 230 million kilometers (about 143 million miles) from Earth, which is roughly 1.54 astronomical units (AU). Light takes about 12 minutes and 48 seconds to travel from Mars to Earth at this distance

. In summary:

• Average distance: ~140 million miles (225 million km)
• Closest recorded distance: ~34.8 million miles (56 million km)
• Farthest distance: ~250 million miles (401 million km)
• Current distance (May 2025): ~143 million miles (230 million km)

Mars is also about 142 million miles (228 million kilometers) from the Sun on average, orbiting at about 1.5 AU