What is the Haversine formula?

The Haversine formula calculates the shortest distance between two points on a sphere (the great-circle distance) using their latitude and longitude. It accounts for the curvature of the Earth and is accurate enough for most practical purposes.

How accurate is the distance calculation?

This tool uses a mean Earth radius of 6,371 km, which gives results accurate to within 0.3% for most locations. For very high-precision geodetic work, the WGS-84 ellipsoid model would be needed.

What format should I enter coordinates in?

Use decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7128 for latitude and -74.0060 for longitude). Latitude ranges from -90 to 90, longitude from -180 to 180. Negative values represent south latitude and west longitude.

What is the initial bearing?

The initial bearing (also called forward azimuth) is the direction you would need to face at Point 1 to head toward Point 2 along the great-circle path. It is measured clockwise from true north (0° to 360°).

Does this tool use my GPS location?

Only if you click "Use my location." The browser will ask for permission. Your location is used only to fill in the Point 1 fields and is never sent to any server.

Distance Calculator (Coordinates)

Name: Distance Calculator (Coordinates)
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Enter two decimal-degree coordinate pairs to instantly calculate great-circle distance in km, mi, nmi, and m — plus initial bearing, compass direction, and geographic midpoint.

Coordinates

Point 1

Latitude

Longitude

Point 2

Latitude

Longitude

Enter two coordinate pairs and click Calculate

Great-circle distance, bearing, and midpoint will appear here

Distance

Kilometers

—

Miles

—

Nautical Miles

—

Meters

—

Bearing (Initial Heading)

—

Clockwise from true north

Geographic Midpoint

Lat: — | Lon: —

—

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Summary

Enter two decimal-degree coordinate pairs to instantly calculate great-circle distance in km, mi, nmi, and m — plus initial bearing, compass direction, and geographic midpoint.

How it works

Enter the latitude and longitude of the first point in decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7128, -74.0060).
Enter the latitude and longitude of the second point in decimal degrees.
Click Calculate to compute the distance, bearing, and midpoint.
Use the "Use my location" button to auto-fill Point 1 with your current GPS position.
Click any copy button to copy that result value to your clipboard.
Click Reset to clear all fields and results.

Use cases

Finding the straight-line distance between two cities before planning a flight.
Calculating the bearing to a destination for navigation or orienteering.
Determining the geographic midpoint for a meeting location between two travelers.
Computing great-circle distances for geographic data analysis and mapping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-10 · Reviewed by Nham Vu