This study compares four different distance metrics, i.e., Euclidean, Manhattan, and Minkowski distance (the latter for two different coefficients), and contrasts them with road distance and travel time, respectively, in the context of applied health services research. The Euclidean metric is the most common and intuitive measure of distance; Manhattan is another common distance measure, but very rarely does either of them provide a close approximation of an empirical road network, such as an urban network.