My kid is officially out of school until the new year starts, which means we’re watching the best Christmas movies nonstop until the big day arrives. Elf is always a favorite in my home, not just for Will Ferrell’s classic quotes, but because Buddy the Elf is a wonderful modern Christmas character we can celebrate. Even Ferrell’s kids love it, though I wonder if they asked him the same question my daughter threw my way when she watched: how long did Buddy’s walk to New York take?
In all the times I’ve seen part or all of Elf since its release in 2003, I’ve never once thought about the logistics of Buddy’s journey from the North Pole to New York City. It is a comedy, after all, and I was in seventh grade when it came out, so it’s not like I actually believed he made that trip in real life. Seven-year-olds’ brains are wired differently, however, and my kid’s curiosity had me diving into the Internet’s trenches to see if I could…okay, no….to see if someone else had figured out how long Buddy’s adventure to The Big Apple actually took.
Someone Actualy DID The Math On How Long Buddy’s Walk Would Take
Some angelic genius on Reddit did the math, which I won’t be double-checking, and came up with a reasonable guesstimate for how long it would take a person to recreate the 3,600 miles-long walk from the North Pole to New York City depicted in Elf. Just for reference, the distance between Los Angeles and New York is 2,776 miles, so Buddy walked over 800 miles beyond that.
As the Redditor u/cooperred pointed out, a pace of 12-14 miles a day would be doable for an average person to accomplish while still allowing for rest, eating, and using the bathroom. This would mean that a walk of that size would take anywhere from 250 to 300 days. Quite a haul, to say the least, and one that would probably have Will Ferrell‘s character looking like that horrifying animatronic of himself by the end of it.
When Buddy Would’ve Needed To Leave The North Pole To Arrive In New York City By Christmas
One might think Buddy left the North Pole around Christmas in Elf, but in reality, it could’ve been any time. It’s always cold in the North Pole, so the snowfall wouldn’t be surprising. Also, the elves are preparing for Christmas, but when you’re making presents for every child on Earth, work has to be going on all year round.
All this to say, Elf leaves the possibility open that Buddy left the North Pole around late February or March, and arrived in New York City just in time for the Christmas season. That’s pretty lucky on his part, because I can’t imagine how the already weird events of the movie would’ve unfolded had he shown up around Halloween or around New Years. There’s no way he would’ve gotten that job at Gimbels, or even been allowed into the building to see his father had they not assumed he was a singing telegram worker.
Obviously, this theory is just for people watching fun funsies via HBO Max subscription, and not one to be taken seriously, because then we’d need to talk about elf feet being impervious to blisters. At the same time, if an Elf sequel ever comes into being, I would love to see what all occurred on the months-long journey to make it to New York City. Maybe he got mixed up with a yeti, or met a red-nosed reindeer? There are a lot of possibilities to explore, and it could make for a great movie!
For now, there’s no word on an Elf sequel, and there may never be one. Fortunately, the original movie is good enough as is, and is able to make me laugh every holiday!