It has rough, fibrous grey bark, dull, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical or conical fruit.Eucalyptus distans is a tree that typically grows to a height of 7–9 m (23–30 ft) and forms a lignotuber.

[4][5][6] Eucalyptus distans was first formally described in 1980 by Ian Brooker, Douglas Boland and David Kleinig from samples gathered near Katherine Gorge by Clyde Dunlop in 1977 and the description was published in Australian Forest Research.

[7][8] Eucalyptus epruinata was described in 2000 by Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson in the journal Telopea from specimens collected in Queensland but the name is listed as a synonym by the Australian Plant Census.

[9] The specific epithet (distans) is a Latin word meaning "remote", "far apart" or "distant"[10] indicating that this species is separated from the similar E.

[3][4][6] Eucalyptus distans is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[3] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.