What does station notation like 12+34.56 mean?

The number before the plus sign is the station number and the number after is the remainder. With a 100 ft interval, 12+34.56 means 12 × 100 + 34.56 = 1,234.56 ft from the origin (Station 0+00).

What is the standard station interval?

A common US highway convention uses 100 ft, so 10+00 represents 1,000 ft. Metric chainage is commonly grouped as kilometres plus metres, so 1+000 represents 1,000 m. Always follow the notation and units declared on the project plans.

What is the difference between stationing and chainage?

They mean the same thing. "Stationing" is common in American practice; "chainage" is preferred in British, Canadian, and international metric practice. Both express cumulative distance along an alignment.

Is adding distance the same as a survey offset?

No. Adding a positive or negative distance moves ahead or back along the alignment. A survey offset is normally a perpendicular left/right distance from the alignment and requires alignment geometry that this calculator does not model.

Can stations go past 99+99.99?

Yes. With a 100 ft interval a station of 100+00 = 10,000 ft is perfectly valid. The station number before the plus sign can be any non-negative integer.

How do I compute the distance between two stations?

Convert each station to decimal distance and subtract. The Distance Between Two Stations panel performs this station subtraction directly and reports the absolute segment length.

Stationing Calculator

Convert station or chainage notation to cumulative distance, convert back, add an along-alignment distance, or subtract two stations using a declared interval and unit.

Station Interval

Station → Distance

Enter a station in XX+YY.YY format

Distance → Station

Enter a decimal distance to get station notation

Add / Subtract Along Alignment

Advance or move back along the alignment. This is not a perpendicular left/right survey offset.

Base Station

Along-alignment Distance (+ ahead, − back)

Distance Between Two Stations

Subtract two stations to find the segment length

Station A

Station B

Station equations: a back/ahead equation can create a gap, overlap, or repeated station value. This calculator performs arithmetic within one continuous stationing regime and does not cross an equation automatically. Check the project plan before using a result for layout.

FHWA alignment reference Oregon DOT station equations

Station Notation Quick Reference

Interval	Station	Decimal

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