Calculate the shortest distance between two points on the Earth’s surface.
The shortest route between two points on a sphere follows a great circle, which is why long-haul flight paths curve towards the poles on a flat map. The central angle between the points multiplied by the radius gives the distance. Flat-map straight lines overstate distance considerably at high latitudes, which is why polar routes between Europe and Asia are shorter than they appear.
Great Circle Distance
Great-circle distance = Earth radius × central angle between the two points
Great-circle distance = Earth radius × central angle between the two points The shortest route between two points on a sphere follows a great circle, which is why long-haul flight paths curve towards the poles on a flat map. The central angle between the points multiplied by the radius gives the distance.
Flat-map straight lines overstate distance considerably at high latitudes, which is why polar routes between Europe and Asia are shorter than they appear.
This calculator takes 4 inputs: First latitude, First longitude, Second latitude, Second longitude. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.