How Long Is a Bus? (Feet, Meters, and A Lot More)

You may not realize how long is a bus until you try to park one in a tight spot. The length of a standard bus is 40 feet, but you can find buses ranging from 20 feet to over 100 feet. In this guide, you’ll discover the exact lengths of all kinds of buses (from double-deckers to school buses).

Moreover, you will find out which is the biggest bus. Continue reading!

Key Points

• City buses are about 40 feet long.
• School buses range between 35 and 45 feet.
• Double-decker buses are shorter, around 30 to 35 feet.
• Coach buses are built for long trips and are around 45 feet long.
• A 56-passenger bus is typically 45 to 50 feet long.
• The width of a bus is usually 2.5 meters, which is wider than a car.
• Bus lengths vary by the number of passengers, bus type, and street conditions.
• The longest bus in the world, AutoTram Extra Grand, is 101 feet long.

How Long is a Bus? (Feet, Meters, and CM)

A typical city bus is about 40 to 45 feet long (12 to 14 meters), while the longer articulated buses can reach up to 60 feet (18 meters). In contrast, the world’s longest buses, like the AutoTram Extra Grand, can be over 100 feet (30.7 meters) long.

Buses come in all kinds of sizes, depending on what they’re used for. Some buses are short, others are really long. 

Here’s a table showing the lengths of various types of buses:

Bus Type	Length (in feet)
Standard City Bus	40 to 45 feet
Articulated Bus	55 to 60 feet
AutoTram Extra Grand (Longest Bus)	101 feet
Van Hool AGG300	82 feet
Youngman JNP6280G	82 feet
Hess LighTram 02795	82 feet
Mercedes-Benz O 530 GL	64 feet
Nova Bus LFS	62 feet
New Flyer XDE60	60 feet
Neoplan Jumbocruiser	59 feet
Volvo 7900 Hybrid Articulated	59 feet
Setra TopClass 500	46 feet

Let’s take a closer look at the different lengths of buses and make it super simple to understand.

How Long is a Bus in Feet?

Most city buses are about 40 feet long. That’s roughly the same as parking four cars end to end. School buses are usually around 35 to 45 feet long. These numbers can change a little depending on the type of bus, but most city buses stay close to 40 feet.

Length of a Bus in cm

In centimeters, most buses measure around 1,000 to 1,200 cm long. This depends on the type of bus, but these numbers give you a solid idea.

How long is a bus in meters?

If we switch over to meters, a typical city bus is about 12 meters long. School buses can be anywhere from 10 to 13.7 meters. Whether it’s a school bus or a city bus, they’re all close to 12 meters on average.

Such buses are built to fit on regular roads, so they don’t get too huge.

Width of a Bus in Meters

A typical bus is around 2.5 meters wide. No matter what kind of bus it is, the width stays around the same. They need to fit on regular streets, so they can’t get wider. This width gives enough room for seats and space to stand (without taking up too much road space).

To compare, you might also want to know how long a parking space is and how that measures up against the length of a bus.

How Long is a School Bus?

School buses come in different sizes depending on where they’re used. The most common school buses you’ll see on the road are around 35 to 45 feet long, which is about 10 to 13.7 meters. This allows them to carry a lot of students, sometimes more than 70 kids at once!

In some places, smaller school buses are used. These are usually about 20 to 30 feet long, or 6 to 9 meters. They’re often used on three occasions:

• When there are fewer students to pick up
• In areas with tighter streets (where a big bus would have trouble getting around).
• For special needs students.

How Long Is a City Bus? (Key Details)

City buses are usually around 40 feet long, or about 12 meters. These buses carry a lot of people and make frequent stops. Sometimes, in really busy cities, you might even see buses that are 60 feet long.

The longer buses are called articulated buses. They have two parts connected by a flexible joint, which helps them make turns on city streets.

City buses don’t just carry people sitting down. Many people stand during busy times, so these buses are built to make it easy for passengers to hop on and off quickly. They’re made for cities where lots of people depend on public transportation to get to work, school, or other places.

What Is the Length of a Coach Bus?

Coach buses are usually a bit longer than city buses. Most of them are about 45 feet long, which is around 13.7 meters. These buses are designed for comfort because they’re used for long trips, like tours. They have big, comfy seats and often have plenty of storage for luggage.

Coach buses are built for long-distance travel, so they also come with extra features, like bathrooms and sometimes even Wi-Fi. Because they are longer, they can carry more people—usually between 50 and 60 passengers.

If you’ve ever been on a long bus ride for a vacation, you were probably on a coach bus.

How Long Is a Double-Decker Bus?

Double-decker buses are about 30 to 35 feet long, which is about 9 to 11 meters. Even though they’re not the longest buses, what makes them special is their two floors. Having two levels means they can carry more people without being super long.

These buses are tall instead of long, which is perfect for cities with narrow streets. Double-decker buses are popular in busy cities, and many tourists love riding on the top floor to get a great view while traveling.

56-passenger Bus Length – Important Details

A bus that holds 56 passengers is typically around 45 to 50 feet long, or about 13.7 to 15 meters. These buses are often used for trips with large groups, like sports teams traveling to games. They are also great for shuttling people between airports and hotels.

These buses usually come with lots of storage space. This type of bus is made to carry large groups comfortably. It’s long enough to have room for everyone. That’s why you’ll also see these buses on highways.

Width of a Bus vs Car: Everything to Know

Buses are much wider than cars. Most buses are around 2.5 meters wide, while cars are usually about 1.8 meters wide. That difference might not sound huge, but when you see a bus and a car next to each other, the bus looks much wider.

The extra width of buses gives them enough room to carry more people.

Cars are narrower because they’re only meant for smaller groups, usually just a family or a few people. Buses, on the other hand, are designed to carry lots of passengers, so they need the extra space. This width also makes buses sturdier on the road.

In contrast, cars are built to be faster and more agile, while buses focus on moving large groups safely.

What Factors Affect Bus Length?

The length of a bus depends on factors like how many passengers it needs to carry, the size of city streets, and the type of service (local or long-distance). Longer buses are used to transport more people, while shorter ones are better for narrow city streets.

Passenger Capacity

The more people a bus is built to carry, the longer it needs to be. If a bus is designed to hold many passengers, it needs extra space for seats.

For example, a school bus or a city bus is longer because it’s designed to carry a lot of people at once. The bus length is directly linked to how many people it needs to transport.

Bus Type

There are different types of buses, like school buses, coach buses, and city buses, and each type is built for a specific purpose.

Coach buses are longer because they’re used for long trips and need room for luggage. In comparison, school buses and city buses are shorter for daily travel in neighborhoods.

Road and Street Conditions

Buses in large cities have to be able to drive on narrow streets and make tight turns, so they can’t be too long. That’s why some city buses, especially the articulated ones, have joints in the middle to help them maneuver through traffic. In more rural areas, buses can be longer since there’s more space on the roads.

Which Are the Longest Buses Used in the World?

The longest bus in the world is the AutoTram Extra Grand, which is 30.7 meters (101 feet) long. It’s used in Germany and can carry up to 256 passengers. This bus has three sections connected by joints, which lets it move through city streets.

Here are the other two long buses you need to know:

Van Hool AGG300

The Van Hool AGG300 is another long bus. It’s 25 meters (82 feet) long and is used in places like Belgium and the Netherlands. This bus moves lots of people in crowded areas, helping to reduce traffic.

Youngman JNP6280G

This Chinese bus is also 25 meters long and used in busy cities where public transport is essential. It’s built for high-capacity passenger movement and plays a big role in keeping the city moving smoothly.

Here’s my favorite video on top 10 longest buses in the world:

Conclusion

Here’s how long a bus is:

• A city bus is typically 40 feet long.
• School buses are usually 35 to 45 feet long.
• Double-decker buses measure around 30 to 35 feet.
• The longest bus in the world is 101 feet.
• Passenger capacity, type, and road conditions affect bus length.

Now, with all this information, you can easily understand how long a bus is.

Buses are long, but they’re no match for trucks that are 200 feet long—find out more about these massive vehicles.