Distance Calculator
Click the map to add waypoints. The total distance between all points is calculated automatically.
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Click on the map to add your first waypoint.
Total Distance
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About This Tool
The Distance Calculator measures the shortest overland path between two or more waypoints placed on the map. It is useful for route planning, estimating travel distances, and verifying distances between known locations.
Input
Two or more waypoints placed by map click or place-name search. Points are connected in the order they are placed. You can add as many intermediate stops as needed; each segment is measured independently.
Output
The distance for each consecutive waypoint pair, plus a cumulative total, in kilometres, miles, or nautical miles. All measurements update in real time as you place or move points.
Key Concepts
- Great-circle distance
- The shortest path between two points on a sphere, travelling along the surface — not through the Earth and not along a straight line on a flat map. This is the path that aircraft and ships follow for fuel-efficient routes. Also called geodesic distance.
- Haversine formula
- The trigonometric formula used here to compute the central angle between two lat/lng pairs and convert it to a surface distance. It accounts for Earth's curvature while remaining computationally efficient. Named after the haversine function (half the versine of an angle).
- Nautical mile
- Defined as exactly 1,852 m. Corresponds to one arcminute of latitude along any meridian. The standard distance unit in aviation and maritime navigation.