Great-Circle Distance & Bearing Calculator
Find the great-circle distance and initial compass bearing between two latitude and longitude points, in kilometers, miles and meters. Free, no upload.
Point A
Point B
Kilometers: 343.56 Miles: 213.48 Meters: 343556 Initial bearing: 148.1° (SE)
🔒 Calculated instantly in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Great-circle distance, not a straight line on a map
Enter the latitude and longitude of two points in decimal degrees and this tool returns the great-circle distance between them — the shortest path over the curved surface of the Earth, the route an aircraft or ship would follow. It is computed with the haversine formula on a sphere of mean radius 6371 km, and shown at once in kilometers, miles and meters. London to Paris, for example, is about 343.6 km (213.5 mi). This is the as-the-crow-flies distance; a real road or flight route is longer because it follows roads, airways and detours.
Initial bearing and compass direction
Alongside the distance the tool shows the initial bearing: the heading in degrees from 0 to 360, measured clockwise from true north, that you set off on to follow the great circle from point A to point B. Because a great circle curves across the globe, this heading gradually changes along the way, which is why long routes drawn on a flat map look like arcs. The nearest eight-point compass label (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) appears next to the angle so you can read the direction at a glance. Everything is calculated locally in your browser, so your coordinates never leave your device.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between great-circle distance and driving distance?
Great-circle distance is the shortest path over the surface of the Earth, as the crow flies. Driving or flying distance is longer because it follows roads, airways and terrain rather than a straight arc.
Which Earth radius and formula does it use?
It uses the haversine formula on a sphere of mean radius 6371 km. That is accurate to within a few tenths of a percent for everyday use; a full ellipsoidal (Vincenty) result would differ only slightly.
What does the initial bearing tell me?
It is the compass heading, 0 to 360 degrees clockwise from true north, to start out on toward the destination along the great circle. The heading changes as you travel, so it is the starting direction rather than a fixed one.
Are my coordinates uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole calculation runs in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you type is sent to a server or stored.