How many travel days does a PCS move get?
This PCS travel days calculator estimates the authorised travel days for a permanent change of station move driven in a privately owned vehicle, starting from the official distance between the old and new duty stations. Enter the miles from your orders or travel voucher and it applies the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) rule of about 350 miles per day, with one day for a trip of 400 miles or less and an extra day when the remainder is 51 miles or more.
Many people search for a “travel days calculator for the Army” or “JTR travel days calculator”. Service help sheets word the rule in slightly different ways, and the two common wordings give different counts for some distances, so the page shows both side by side and tells you when they disagree.
How to use the Military PCS Travel Days Calculator
- Enter the official distance in miles. It is the distance recorded for your orders, not what a map app shows.
- Choose which wording the headline answer should use: the JTR 050205 wording quoted on the Navy help sheet, or the Army help-sheet wording.
- Optionally enter your first travel day to see the date of the last authorised travel day.
- Compare the two rows in the table. If they differ, ask your transportation office which applies.
- Press Copy the result to paste a note into an email or a spreadsheet.
Military PCS Travel Days Calculator features
Both published wordings
The JTR 050205 reading and the Army help-sheet reading are calculated together and compared.
Working shown
Whole 350-mile days, the remainder and whether it adds a day, in plain numbers.
Editable rule values
Miles per day, first-day miles and the remainder threshold can be changed if the regulation is revised.
Day 1 to last day
Give the first travel day and the last authorised day is dated for you.
The rule, and where it comes from
Authorised travel days for a POV move are set by the JTR, chapter 5 (paragraph 050205 in the sources read for this page). As quoted by the Navy’s PCS elapsed-time guidance: a trip of 400 miles or less is 1 day; over 400 miles is 1 day for every 350 miles, and 1 more day for any remainder of 51 miles or more. The 2026 Army PCS travel help sheet words it as one day for 400 miles or less, then an added day for every 350 miles over the first 400, rounding up for any remaining mileage over 50. A civilian-employee page from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service describes one day per 350 miles on the most direct route, plus a day if the remainder is over 50.
The official JTR PDF could not be opened from this page’s research environment on 24 October 2026, so the wordings above come from official service and agency help sheets rather than the regulation text. Treat the numbers as a planning aid and confirm them in the current JTR at the Defense Travel Management Office website.
Worked examples
The 1,573-mile example is the same one used in a Military.com explainer and comes to five days either way. For the actual cost side of a move, see the mileage reimbursement calculator and the per diem calculator.
| Official miles | JTR 050205 reading | Army help-sheet reading |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | 1 day | 1 day |
| 450 | 2 days (350 + 100 left over) | 1 day (400 + 50 left over) |
| 750 | 2 days (700 + 50 left over) | 2 days (400 + 350) |
| 751 | 3 days (700 + 51 left over) | 2 days (400 + 350 + 1) |
| 1,573 | 5 days (1,400 + 173 left over) | 5 days (400 + 3 × 350 + 123 left over) |
What it does not cover
Travel days are only one part of a move. Extra days for special circumstances, leave, delays beyond your control, travel by air or government vehicle, overseas moves, dependants travelling separately and PPM or DITY rules are decided by your orders and the transportation office. The calculator does not look up your official distance; it comes from the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD) when your orders are computed.
Military PCS Travel Days Calculator FAQ
How many miles per day count as a PCS travel day?
The JTR rule works on about 350 miles per day, with one day allowed for trips of 400 miles or less. Check the current JTR paragraph 050205 before relying on the number.
What is the remainder rule?
After dividing the official distance by 350, a remainder of 51 miles or more adds one more travel day.
Why are there two answers for the same distance?
The Navy and Army help sheets word the rule differently, and the wordings produce different counts for some distances such as 450 or 751 miles. Your transportation office will tell you which applies.
Which distance should I enter?
The official distance recorded for your orders. A map app can differ by many miles and is not used for entitlements.
Does this work for Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard moves?
The JTR applies across the uniformed services, but entitlements depend on your orders and service rules. Use this as an estimate.
Is this official guidance?
No. It is an unofficial calculator based on published help sheets. Your orders and the JTR decide.