What Was the Distance Between Dale and Erebor?

Q: What Was the Distance Between Dale and Erebor?

ANSWER: J.R.R. Tolkien does not provide any measurement of distance between the gate of Erebor and the ruins of Dale in The Hobbit but in the narrative he mentions that Bilbo had about five hours from the time he persuaded Bombur to take a nap until midnight, when Bombur was to be relieved.

Assuming Bilbo’s road was fairly smooth (he had to walk in the dark, following the old road, which was ruinous) he had about two hours to make his way down to the bend in the river where the old bridge once stood and then to cross the ford into Bard’s camp. At most I would estimate that to be no more than five miles.

It comes down to how much ground a hobbit can cover in the dark (even on a road) in about two hours. A grown man should be able to walk about three miles in an hour in good light and on a smooth path. Bilbo could not have covered three miles in the time allotted.

Of course, a distance of about two miles is not very far at all for coming down the slope of a large mountain, but the gate was not atop the mountain’s peak. In fact, the gate was positioned low on the mountainside. Thorin and his companions hiked along the road (on the left/east side of the river) down to the ford where the old bridge had stood, and from there crossed the river and followed a road up to an old guard post. Balin estimated (before they set out) that journey would take them about five hours.

If they spent most of their time on the west side of the river then it’s likely that the bridge was no more than a few miles from the gate. In daylight Bilbo and the Dwarves might have walked 4-5 miles beside the river in two hours. That would help Bilbo know his way in the dark, but it seems unlikely that the road ran for more than 3-4 miles at all.

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