Distance Between Coordinates Calculator
Find the distance between two latitude/longitude points in km, miles and nautical miles, plus the initial compass bearing and the midpoint. Compare the great-circle (haversine) result with flat-map approximations.
Last updated: September 2026
Distance
3,935.75 km
Formula below · 3 sources (ngs.noaa.gov, nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov, movable-type.co.uk) · Updated Sep 2026
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About this calculator
For two points with latitudes φ₁, φ₂ and longitudes λ₁, λ₂ (in decimal degrees, south and west negative), the shortest distance over the Earth's surface is the great-circle distance, given by the haversine formula:
d = 2R × arcsin √( sin²(Δφ/2) + cos φ₁ × cos φ₂ × sin²(Δλ/2) )
with R = 6,371 km, the Earth's mean radius. With the defaults, New York (40.7128, −74.006) to Los Angeles (34.0522, −118.2437) is 3,935.75 km, 2,445.56 miles or 2,125.13 nautical miles.
The tiles also give the initial bearing (the compass direction to set off in, 273.7° here, just north of due west) and the midpoint of the great-circle path (39.5103, −97.1601, in Kansas). On a great circle the bearing changes along the way, so the final bearing differs from the initial one.
Other methods
"Euclidean" treats the coordinates as a flat map, with longitude shrunk by the cosine of the mean latitude; it is close for short distances but drifts over long ones (3,983 km for NY–LA). "Manhattan" adds the north–south and east–west distances, as for a city grid. Neither handles routes that cross the 180° meridian; haversine does.
Accuracy
The Earth is slightly flattened, so a spherical formula can be off by up to about 0.5%. For survey-grade distances use an ellipsoidal method such as Vincenty's, for example in NOAA's inverse calculator. To compare great-circle distances in km, miles or nautical miles with one unit select, see the Great Circle Distance Calculator.
How to use
Enter both points in decimal degrees (north and east positive, south and west negative) and choose the method. Example 1 (the defaults): New York to Los Angeles by haversine: 3,935.75 km (2,445.56 mi), initial bearing 273.7°. Example 2: London (51.5074, −0.1278) to Paris (48.8566, 2.3522): 343.56 km. Example 3: two identical points give 0 km. To convert degrees–minutes–seconds, use degrees + minutes ÷ 60 + seconds ÷ 3600: 40° 42′ 46″ N = 40.7128.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the distance between two coordinates?
Use the haversine formula with the Earth's radius (6,371 km): it gives the great-circle distance, the shortest path over the surface. New York to Los Angeles is 3,935.75 km.
Why is one degree of longitude not always 111 km?
Meridians meet at the poles, so a degree of longitude is 111.32 km × cos(latitude): about 111 km at the equator, 78.8 km at 45° and 0 at the poles. A degree of latitude stays about 111 km.
What is the initial bearing?
The compass direction, clockwise from true north, in which to start from the first point along the great circle. It is not constant along the route, unlike a rhumb line, which keeps one bearing but is longer.
How accurate is the haversine formula?
It assumes a sphere, so it can be off by up to about 0.5% compared with the real, slightly flattened Earth. Ellipsoidal methods such as Vincenty's are accurate to millimetres.
How do I enter south or west coordinates?
As negative numbers: 33.8688° S, 151.2093° E (Sydney) is −33.8688, 151.2093.
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Sources & references
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