Distance between two places

This free calculator gives the straight-line distance between any two places on Earth, often called the distance "as the crow flies": type two addresses, cities or landmarks, or click two points on the map. It shows the distance in kilometers, miles and nautical miles, the compass bearing from the first place to the second, the midpoint, and the elevation of both places from our own terrain data.

How far is it between two cities as the crow flies?

Type the two cities in the From and To boxes. The distance appears at once, with the great-circle line drawn on the map. The same works for addresses, airports, mountains or any point you click.

How accurate is the distance?

It is computed on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the shape of the Earth GPS uses (Vincenty's formula), so it is accurate to well under a meter for the two points given. Distances on a perfect sphere, which many calculators use, can be off by up to about half a percent.

Why is the driving distance longer?

Roads bend, climb and go around things; the straight line does not. For the length of a route you trace yourself, draw it in Geo Measure.

What are the bearing and the midpoint?

The bearing is the compass direction you would set off in from the first place to follow the shortest path; on long distances it changes along the way, so the bearing on arrival is shown too. The midpoint is the point halfway along that path.

Can I share the result?

Yes: Copy Link gives a link that opens the same two places. You can also write one by hand, like geosq.com/distance/?from=Paris&to=Rome.

Is there an app?

Not for this tool yet. The nearest is Geo Measure, on iPhone, iPad and Mac, which measures area and distance on a map and saves each measurement as a document. Paid. App Store · Mac App Store · More about Geo Measure