server info
 

If say your server is in the US, do those closer to your server download content quicker than say people in the UK? Or does it not make any difference.

usually yes

but a good remote host can outdo a nearby host with bad network

but all else being equal, the closer the surfer, the faster the info can travel to them.

the answers above are right, but more technically, the farther the server usually the more computers the data needs to be relayed through. so if its closer, the less.

Yup, although a fast server in the US can serve content about as well to EU surfers as an EU server with a bad network. But easiest thing to do is just traceroute. To cross the atlantic ocean you are generally looking at about an extra 70ms or so delay just for that one hop. If you are in the US and your server is too, you should be able to hit it under 70ms total. So do the math :)

You can run tracert reports on the host/server from around the world to see how fast/slow it is to your neck of the woods or wherever you want.