Distance Calculator (Great-Circle, Haversine)
Great-circle distance from coordinates or US city presets, with flight and drive time estimates.
LIFESTYLECalculate the great-circle (as-the-crow-flies) distance between two points on Earth from latitude and longitude using the Haversine formula. Outputs miles, kilometers, nautical miles, initial bearing, and estimated flight and drive time. Pick from common US city presets or enter custom coordinates.
The Haversine formula treats Earth as a sphere with radius 6,371 km (3,959 mi), accurate within 0.5% for typical distances. Great-circle is the shortest path on a sphere - it appears curved on a Mercator map but is mathematically the most direct. Driving distance is typically 15-30% longer because roads follow terrain. Coordinates are decimal degrees: north and east positive, south and west negative. NYC (40.71, -74.01), LA (34.05, -118.24), Tokyo (35.68, 139.65).
Distance Calculator (As-the-crow-flies)
Calculate the great-circle distance between two points on Earth from latitude and longitude using the Haversine formula. Outputs miles, kilometers, and nautical miles. Pick from common US city presets or enter custom coordinates.
How Great-Circle Distance Works
The Haversine formula calculates the shortest distance between two points on a sphere, given their latitude and longitude. It treats Earth as a sphere with mean radius 6,371 km (3,959 mi), which is accurate to within 0.5% for typical distances. For higher precision (geodesics on the actual oblate ellipsoid), the Vincenty formula is preferred but rarely necessary for everyday use.
Great-circle distance is "as the crow flies" - a straight line through the air. Driving distance is usually 15-30% longer because roads are not straight (highways follow terrain, cities have street grids). For an exact driving distance, use Google Maps or a routing API. The bearing shown here is the initial heading; great-circle routes curve on a Mercator map even though they are the shortest path on the globe.
Coordinates use decimal degrees. North latitude and east longitude are positive; south and west are negative. Examples: New York City (40.71, -74.01), Los Angeles (34.05, -118.24), Tokyo (35.68, 139.65), Sydney (-33.87, 151.21). One degree of latitude is always ~69 miles, while one degree of longitude varies from ~69 miles at the equator to 0 at the poles.
Haversine accurate within ~0.5% for short distances. For survey-grade precision or geodetic work, use Vincenty or the WGS84 ellipsoid.