Distance Calculator

What Is a Distance Calculator?

A Distance Calculator determines the geographic distance between two points. This version uses latitude and longitude coordinates to calculate the great-circle distance between the locations, providing the result in several common units.

It can be useful for geographic calculations, travel planning, mapping projects, fitness activities and technical work where an approximate straight-line distance between two locations is required. Because the calculation does not follow roads or routes, it represents geographic distance rather than driving or walking distance.

Why Use Distance Calculator?

This free online distance calculator provides a quick way to calculate the geographic distance between two coordinate points without requiring mapping software or a separate conversion tool.

How to Use Distance Calculator

You only need the latitude and longitude coordinates for the two points you want to compare.

1. Enter the first location — enter the latitude and longitude of Point 1 using decimal degrees.
2. Enter the second location — enter the latitude and longitude of Point 2 using the same decimal-degree format.
3. Calculate the distance — click Calculate Distance to perform the geographic distance calculation.
4. Review the results — view the distance in kilometres, miles, metres and feet, and optionally copy the results.

Calculate the Distance Between Two Coordinates

Geographic coordinates identify positions on the Earth's surface using latitude and longitude. Latitude describes how far north or south a point is from the Equator, while longitude describes how far east or west it is from the Prime Meridian. By entering the coordinates for two locations, a distance calculation can determine how far apart those points are.

This calculator uses the Haversine formula to calculate the great-circle distance between the two coordinates. The result represents the shortest distance between the points along the Earth's surface, rather than the length of a particular road, walking route, flight path or other travel route.

Distance in Kilometres

Kilometres are commonly used for geographic distance in metric systems. The calculator displays kilometres as its primary result and also provides the equivalent distance in miles, metres and feet. This makes the result useful when working with different measurement systems.

Distance in Miles

Miles are another commonly used unit for expressing geographic and travel distance. The calculator converts the calculated kilometre value into miles using the standard relationship between the two units, allowing the same geographic distance to be viewed in either system.

Understanding Distance Calculation Results

The result from this calculator is a straight-line geographic distance between two coordinate points. It does not represent the distance you would necessarily travel by car, bicycle, public transport or on foot. Real travel distances can be longer because roads, paths, waterways, borders, terrain and other geographical features affect available routes.

For accurate coordinate calculations, use decimal degrees and make sure the latitude and longitude values are entered in the correct fields. Latitude must be between -90 and 90 degrees, while longitude must be between -180 and 180 degrees. Positive and negative values identify positions on opposite sides of the Equator or Prime Meridian.

Frequently Asked Questions