Bearing & Azimuth

Click the map to set Point A, then click again to set Point B. Forward bearing, back bearing, and rhumb bearing are calculated instantly.

🧭 Click on the map to place Point A.

Forward Bearing —

Back Bearing —

Rhumb Bearing —

A —

B —

About This Tool

Bearing & Azimuth computes the compass direction from one geographic point to another. It is used in navigation, surveying, drone flight planning, antenna alignment, and any application that requires knowing the heading between two known positions.

Input

Two points placed on the map or found via search: an origin (A) and a destination (B). Both points can be dragged to adjust the bearing in real time.

Output

Forward bearing (A → B) and back bearing (B → A), each expressed as a decimal degree value from 0° to 360° and as a cardinal or intercardinal direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW). The distance between the two points is also shown.

Key Concepts

Bearing (true bearing): The horizontal angle measured clockwise from true geographic north to the direction of travel. 0° = North, 90° = East, 180° = South, 270° = West. Calculated using the forward azimuth formula on the WGS84 ellipsoid.
True north vs. magnetic north: True north points toward the geographic North Pole — the axis of Earth's rotation. Magnetic north is where compass needles point, and it differs from true north by an angle called magnetic declination, which varies by location (−30° to +30°) and shifts over time due to geomagnetic drift. This tool reports true bearings only; navigators using a magnetic compass must apply their local declination correction.
Back bearing: The forward bearing turned 180°. On short lines this is effectively the heading from B back toward A; over long great-circle distances the true initial heading from B to A differs from the exact reciprocal, so treat it as the reciprocal of the A→B heading rather than a precise return course.