What distance does this calculate?

It calculates the straight-line, or great-circle, distance between two points on the Earth's surface using their latitude and longitude. This is the shortest distance over the surface, not the road or driving distance, which is usually longer.

How do I find a coordinate?

In most map apps you can right-click a location to see its latitude and longitude as two numbers, for example -41.2865 and 174.7762 for Wellington. Enter those into the boxes. Southern latitudes and western longitudes are negative.

Why is this different from driving distance?

The great-circle distance is a straight line across the surface. Roads bend around terrain, coastlines, and towns, so the driving distance is always longer. Use a maps app for driving distance and time.

Distance Calculator

Work out the straight-line distance between two points on Earth from their latitude and longitude. The calculator uses the great-circle (haversine) method and shows the result in kilometres and miles. This is the shortest distance across the surface, which is useful for flights, planning, and quick estimates. For driving distance, use a maps app.

Point 1 latitude

Point 1 longitude

Point 2 latitude

Point 2 longitude

0 km

0 miles

Straight-line (great-circle) distance. Default points are Auckland and Wellington.

How it works

The calculator uses the haversine formula, which finds the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere from their latitude and longitude. The Earth is treated as a sphere with a radius of about 6,371 km, which is accurate to within a fraction of a percent for everyday use.

Worked example

Auckland (-36.8485, 174.7633) to Wellington (-41.2865, 174.7762) is about 494 km in a straight line. The drive is longer, around 640 km, because roads are not straight.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get coordinates?

Right-click a spot in most map apps to see its latitude and longitude. Southern and western values are negative, which is normal for New Zealand (latitudes are negative).

Related calculators

Trigonometry Calculator: angles and triangle sides.
Fuel Cost Calculator: cost of a trip by distance.
Unit Converter: convert km, miles, and more.

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