Quickly compute the great-circle distance between two points on Earth using their latitude and longitude. Our Distance Calculator is designed for accuracy, speed, and clarity, whether you’re planning travel, analyzing logistics, or validating GPS coordinates.
What is a Distance Calculator?
A Distance Calculator is a tool that measures how far apart two geographic points are on the surface of the Earth. Instead of using simple straight-line math, it applies a spherical model that accounts for the planet’s curvature. This method, commonly known as the great-circle distance, gives a realistic measurement for navigation, mapping, and geospatial analysis. With just four numbers — two latitudes and two longitudes — you can calculate the distance in kilometers, miles, nautical miles, or meters, and choose how precisely to round the result.
How the Distance Calculator works (Haversine formula)
Under the hood, the calculator uses the haversine formula, which computes the central angle between two points on a sphere given their latitudes and longitudes. That angle, multiplied by the Earth’s mean radius, yields the great-circle distance. The approach is widely accepted for most web and mobile applications due to its balance of performance and accuracy. While there are more complex ellipsoidal models, haversine is typically accurate to within a small margin for everyday use, including travel estimates, asset tracking, and map-based interfaces.
- Inputs: Latitude and longitude for Point A and Point B.
- Engine: Haversine formula on a spherical Earth radius (? 6,371.0088 km).
- Outputs: Distance in km, miles, nautical miles, or meters, plus optional rounding.
How to use the Distance Calculator
- Enter the latitude and longitude for Point A. Use negative values for south latitudes and west longitudes.
- Enter the latitude and longitude for Point B using the same convention.
- Select your preferred output unit: kilometers, miles, nautical miles, or meters.
- Optionally set the number of decimal places for rounding.
- Click “Calculate Distance” to see the result instantly.
Units and precision options
Different tasks call for different units. Kilometers are common internationally, miles often suit road travel in certain countries, nautical miles are standard in aviation and maritime navigation, and meters help with shorter ranges or engineering use cases. The calculator allows you to set between zero and ten decimal places, so you can present coarse or highly precise values depending on your audience.
Popular use cases
- Travel planning: Estimate distances between cities or landmarks for trip planning.
- Logistics and delivery: Validate route distances and service coverage areas.
- Asset tracking: Measure separation between devices, vehicles, or sensors.
- GIS and mapping: Check spatial relationships or perform quick, ad hoc analyses.
- Education: Demonstrate geodesic concepts in classrooms and labs.
Tips for accurate results
- Use precise coordinates (at least 5–6 decimal places) for best accuracy.
- Confirm that latitudes are between -90 and 90, and longitudes are between -180 and 180.
- Remember that haversine assumes a spherical Earth; for survey-grade accuracy, an ellipsoidal model may be required.
- When reporting results, include the unit and rounding you used to avoid ambiguity.
Why choose this Distance Calculator?
This tool is fast, easy to use, and transparent about the method it applies. You can control output units and precision, see clearly labeled inputs, and rely on sensible validation that prevents out-of-range values. Whether you’re a developer prototyping a map feature, a student learning geodesy, or a traveler comparing routes, the Distance Calculator gives you the numbers you need, right when you need them.