Spatial homogamy, or the geographical closeness of life partners, has received little attention inrecent decades. Theoretically, partners may be found anywhere in the world, as increases ineducational participation, affluence, mobility and internet access have reduced the meaning ofgeographical distance in general. This paper examines whether geography still matters in theSwedish partner market, by examining distances between partners before co-residence overtime. Register data are used to track the residential histories (1990–2008) of couples whomarried or had a child in 1996, 2002 or 2008 (N¼292,652). With the couple as the unit ofanalysis, the distance between partners before co-residence is explained by geographical, socioeconomicand demographic indicators. I find that although the distance between partners hasincreased over time, it is still the case that half of all partners lived within 9 kilometres of eachother before moving in together. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics explain someof the variation in spatial homogamy, but geographical factors, such as previous place of residence,spatial mobility, degree of urbanization and nearness of parents, are crucial. Even in a globalizedsociety, most people still find their partners very close by. The findings are relevant to the familymigration literature, where residential mobility at the beginning of co-residence has received littleattention, despite long-lasting consequences of partner choice on social ties and people’s socioeconomiccareers. The results exemplify the importance of short geographical distances forintimate relationships.