Pakistan–India Border Length
How long is the border between Pakistan and India? The full answer — 3,323 km across four distinct segments — plus the Radcliffe Line’s story, the LoC, Wagah, Siachen and the fencing.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Key numbers
The border in numbers
One of the world’s most sensitive frontiers — and one of its longest.
Total border length
In miles
Fenced by India (2024)
Radcliffe Line drawn
Inside this guide
In this guide
Everything about the Pakistan–India border
The number
How long is the Pakistan–India border?
The widely cited figure — used by both governments and in international references — is 3,323 kilometres (2,065 miles). But that single number hides four very different frontiers.
| Segment | Approx. length | Status |
|---|---|---|
| International Border (Radcliffe Line) | ~2,240 km | Settled, recognised by both sides |
| Working Boundary | ~200 km | Punjab ↔ Indian-administered Jammu |
| Line of Control (LoC) | ~778 km | Military control line, Kashmir |
| AGPL (Siachen) | ~110 km | Actual Ground Position Line |
| Total | ~3,323 km | 2,065 miles |
Segment lengths are approximations from official and academic sources; the LoC figure (~778 km) is the most commonly cited. Excluding the LoC, the settled border is roughly 2,545 km. Full breakdown: border length deep-dive.
The four frontiers
The four segments of the border
From the Arabian Sea marshes to the world’s highest battlefield.
International Border / Radcliffe Line
The settled, fenced boundary from Gujarat’s Rann through Rajasthan’s Thar desert to Punjab — drawn in 1947 by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. Includes the disputed Sir Creek marshes at its southern tip.
Working Boundary
The ~200 km stretch between Pakistan’s Punjab province and Indian-administered Jammu — called a “working boundary” because one side’s Kashmir claim makes “international border” politically impossible.
Line of Control (~778 km)
The military control line dividing Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan from Indian-administered Kashmir — born of the 1948 ceasefire, redrawn after 1971, and the most volatile stretch of the frontier.
AGPL — Siachen
The Actual Ground Position Line across the Siachen Glacier — the world’s highest battlefield, where altitude has killed more soldiers than combat since 1984.
1947
The Radcliffe Line: five weeks to divide a subcontinent
Sir Cyril Radcliffe — a British lawyer who had never visited India — was given five weeks to draw the boundary through Punjab and Bengal. The award was announced on 17 August 1947, two days after independence.
Who was Radcliffe?
A London barrister with no Indian experience, chosen precisely because he had no local stake — and criticised ever since for exactly that detachment.
How it was drawn
Census data, religious majorities and administrative convenience — with “other factors” that left anomalies like Gurdaspur, which gave India road access to Kashmir.
What followed
One of history’s largest migrations — 10–15 million people crossed, and an estimated 1–2 million died in the partition violence.
Full history: the Radcliffe Line.
The barrier
Fencing the frontier
India has fenced 2,064 km of the 3,323 km border as of 2024; the remaining ~916 km — mountains, riverine tracts and marshes — is covered by physical and non-physical barriers. In February 2025, India’s CPWD began a 1,450 km border road along the Punjab and Rajasthan sectors.
The fence itself
Barbed-wire fencing with floodlighting, sensors and patrol roads on the Indian side — among the most fortified borders on earth.
Crossings
The only regular civilian crossing is Wagah–Attari near Lahore–Amritsar, famous for the daily flag-lowering ceremony.
The ceremony
Wagah: the world’s most famous border ceremony
Every evening at sunset, Pakistan Rangers and India’s BSF perform the synchronised flag-lowering at Wagah–Attari — high kicks, thunderous stomps, and thousands of chanting spectators on both sides.
Wagah Border: Complete Guide
History, the gate, Bab-e-Azadi and how to visit.
Ceremony Timings & Tickets
When to arrive, where to sit, what to carry.
Context
Pakistan’s other borders
The India frontier is Pakistan’s longest — but not its only one.
| Neighbour | Border name | Length |
|---|---|---|
| India | Radcliffe Line / LoC / AGPL | 3,323 km |
| Afghanistan | Durand Line (1893) | ~2,611 km |
| Iran | Pakistan–Iran border | ~909 km |
| China | Khunjerab / Sino-Pak boundary | ~523 km |
Full comparison: Pakistan’s total border length.
All guides
All Pakistan–India border guides
Twelve detailed guides on the frontier.
Border Length Deep-Dive
The 3,323 km figure: how it’s measured, segment by segment.
The Radcliffe Line
1947: the five-week boundary that divided Punjab and Bengal.
Wagah Border Guide
The crossing, the gate, Bab-e-Azadi and visiting.
Line of Control
The LoC’s ~778 km: history from 1948 to the ceasefires.
Border Map: Segments
IB, Working Boundary, LoC, AGPL — the frontier in four parts.
Working Boundary
Why the Punjab–Jammu stretch has its own name.
Siachen Glacier
The world’s highest battlefield on the AGPL.
Pakistan’s Total Borders
India, Afghanistan, Iran, China — every frontier measured.
Border Fencing
2,064 km fenced: the barrier, lights and patrol roads.
Sir Creek Dispute
The marshy southern tip both sides claim.
Ceremony Timings
When the flags come down: timings, seats, tips.
Punjab’s Radcliffe Border
The fertile-plains frontier: Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot sectors.
Questions
Pakistan–India border: FAQs
What is the length of the Pakistan–India border?
What is the Radcliffe Line?
How long is the Line of Control?
Can you cross the Pakistan–India border?
Is the whole border fenced?
What is the Wagah border ceremony?
Explore the frontier
From the Radcliffe Line’s five weeks to Siachen’s frozen heights — the complete geography of Pakistan’s eastern border.
Border lengths are approximations from official and academic sources and are disputed in places (notably Kashmir and Sir Creek). This is an independent guide, not an official demarcation. Images are credited to their sources.