Maker & Reference
Latitude / Longitude Distance Calculator
Distance between any two lat/long points using the Haversine formula. Get distance in miles, km, and nautical miles plus the initial bearing (great circle).
Distance
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- Kilometers
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- Nautical miles
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- Initial bearing
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- Flight time @ 500 mph
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How it works
The Haversine formula calculates great-circle distance — the shortest path between two points on a sphere. Earth is slightly oblate (not perfect sphere) so accuracy is ~99.5%, plenty for navigation.
Latitude: 0° at equator, +90° at north pole, -90° at south. Longitude: 0° at Greenwich, +180° going east, -180° going west.
FAQ
Decimal degrees or DMS? +
This calculator uses decimal degrees. Convert DMS like 40°42'46" N: 40 + 42/60 + 46/3600 = 40.7128°.
Is initial bearing the same the whole way? +
No. Great circle bearing changes as you go. To follow a constant bearing you would fly a rhumb line — longer but easier to navigate.
Accuracy? +
Within 0.5% for most distances. For sub-meter precision over short distances, use Vincenty's formula on the WGS84 ellipsoid.