Latitude Longitude Distance Calculator

What Is Great-Circle Distance?

The shortest path between two points on a sphere follows a great circle, not a straight line through the ground. GPS coordinates describe locations on Earth's curved surface, so the true travel distance is calculated with the haversine formula rather than simple flat-map geometry.

Haversine Formula

$$d = 2R \arcsin\left(\sqrt{\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\varphi}{2}\right) + \cos(\varphi_1)\cos(\varphi_2)\sin^2\left(\frac{\Delta\lambda}{2}\right)}\right)$$

$R$ is Earth's mean radius (6371 km), $\varphi$ is latitude in radians, and $\lambda$ is longitude in radians. The calculator returns both kilometers and miles.

When to Use This Tool

Use it for flight planning estimates, geographic comparisons, hiking route checks, and any task that needs the distance between two latitude/longitude pairs. For opposite points on Earth, try the Antipode Calculator. For flat coordinate math, see the 2D Distance Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this account for roads or terrain?

No. It calculates the straight great-circle distance over Earth's surface, not driving, walking, or flight routing around obstacles.

Which coordinate format should I use?

Enter decimal degrees. Use positive values for north/east and negative values for south/west.

Why is the result different from map ruler tools?

Flat map projections stretch distances, especially far from the equator. The haversine formula stays accurate on a sphere.

How accurate is the Earth radius value?

6371 km is the common mean Earth radius. Real geodesic distances can differ slightly because Earth is not a perfect sphere.

Can I measure very short distances?

Yes, but for distances under a few meters, local surveying methods are usually more appropriate than great-circle math.

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Latitude Longitude Distance

What Is Great-Circle Distance?

Haversine Formula

When to Use This Tool

Frequently Asked Questions

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