Latitude Longitude Distance Calculator

Calculate great-circle distance and initial bearing between two GPS coordinates with the Haversine formula.

Distance between coordinates

Enter decimal latitude and longitude for two points on Earth.

Point 1 latitude

Point 1 longitude

Point 2 latitude

Point 2 longitude

About coordinate distance

Latitude and longitude describe a point on Earth with angular coordinates. Latitude measures position north or south of the equator and ranges from -90 degrees at the South Pole to 90 degrees at the North Pole. Longitude measures position east or west of the prime meridian and ranges from -180 to 180 degrees. This calculator takes two coordinate pairs and finds the shortest path over a spherical Earth, commonly called the great-circle distance. The calculation uses the Haversine formula. It converts all four coordinates from degrees to radians, measures the changes in latitude and longitude, and derives the central angle between the points. Multiplying that angle by the mean Earth radius of 6,371.0088 kilometers gives the surface distance. The result is also converted to statute miles and nautical miles so it can be used for road-level estimates, aviation, marine navigation, mapping, and geographic analysis. An initial bearing is shown alongside distance. This is the compass direction in which a traveler would start when following the great-circle route from point one to point two. Zero degrees is north, 90 degrees is east, 180 degrees is south, and 270 degrees is west. Because a great-circle path curves relative to lines of longitude, the bearing can change as the traveler progresses. The displayed value is therefore an initial bearing, not necessarily a constant heading for the whole trip. The Haversine model treats Earth as a sphere, while the real planet is a slightly flattened ellipsoid with varying terrain. For most navigation, educational, logistics, and proximity tasks, the spherical result is an excellent approximation. Surveying, cadastral boundaries, very long geodesic routes, and safety-critical positioning may require an ellipsoidal algorithm such as Vincenty's formula and a specified geodetic datum. Enter signed decimal degrees: use positive values for north and east, and negative values for south and west. Do not combine a negative sign with a west or south suffix because the fields accept numbers only. Coordinates copied from most map applications are already in this format. The answer measures surface separation, not driving distance, walking distance, altitude-adjusted distance, or the length of a route constrained by roads and borders. Those questions require routing data in addition to coordinates.

Coordinate distance examples

Coordinates	Great-circle distance	Context
New York to Los Angeles	3,935.75 km	The initial bearing from New York is about 274 degrees.
London to Paris	343.56 km	A short international great-circle route across the English Channel.
Equator: 0, 0 to 0, 1	111.20 km	One degree of longitude at the equator.
Same coordinate to itself	0 km	Identical points have zero central angle and zero distance.

How to calculate GPS distance

Enter the signed decimal latitude and longitude for the first point.
Enter the signed decimal latitude and longitude for the second point.
Select Calculate distance to apply the Haversine formula.
Read the distance in kilometers, miles, or nautical miles and note the initial bearing.

Latitude and longitude distance FAQ

What formula calculates the distance?

The calculator uses the Haversine formula with Earth's mean radius. It finds the great-circle arc between the two coordinate pairs.

Is this the same as driving distance?

No, it is the shortest surface distance on a spherical Earth. Driving and walking distances depend on roads, paths, borders, and route restrictions.

How accurate is the Haversine formula?

It is generally accurate enough for mapping and proximity calculations, with small errors caused by Earth's ellipsoidal shape. Precision surveying should use an ellipsoidal geodesic method and an appropriate datum.

How do I enter south and west coordinates?

Use negative numbers for southern latitudes and western longitudes. For example, a longitude of 74 degrees west is entered as -74.

What does initial bearing mean?

Initial bearing is the direction from point one at the start of the great-circle route. It is measured clockwise from north and can change along a long route.