Distance Calculator
Calculate the straight-line distance and bearing between two GPS coordinates. Get results in meters, kilometers, feet, and miles.
What is the Distance Calculator?
The distance calculator measures the straight-line distance (as the crow flies) between two GPS coordinates on Earth's surface. Using the Haversine formula, it accounts for the Earth's curvature to provide accurate distances in meters, kilometers, feet, and miles.
This tool also calculates the bearing (compass direction) from the first point to the second, helping with navigation and orientation.
How Distance Calculation Works
The tool uses the Haversine formula, which calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere:
- Convert coordinates from degrees to radians
- Calculate the differences in latitude and longitude
- Apply the Haversine formula to find the central angle
- Multiply by Earth's radius to get the distance
The result is the shortest distance along the Earth's surface, not a straight line through the Earth.
Distance Calculator in Geocaching
Geocachers use distance calculation for many purposes:
Common Uses
- Estimating hike distance: Know how far you'll walk to reach a cache
- Verifying projections: Check that projected waypoints are reasonable distances
- Multi-cache planning: Calculate total distance between all stages
- Puzzle verification: Confirm solved coordinates are in expected range
- Challenge caches: Verify distances for specific requirements
Understanding Results
The distance shown is straight-line distance. Actual walking/driving distance will be longer due to:
- Roads and paths that aren't straight
- Terrain features requiring detours
- Obstacles like rivers or private property
Distance Units Explained
- Meters (m): Most precise for geocaching, 1 meter ≈ 3.28 feet
- Kilometers (km): For longer distances, 1 km = 1000 meters
- Feet (ft): Common in US geocaching, 1 foot ≈ 0.305 meters
- Miles (mi): For long distances, 1 mile ≈ 1.609 km
Understanding Bearings
The bearing indicates the compass direction from Point 1 to Point 2:
- 0° - North
- 90° - East
- 180° - South
- 270° - West
The calculator also shows the compass direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW) for quick orientation.
Accuracy Considerations
- Earth's shape: The calculator assumes a spherical Earth. For very long distances, an ellipsoidal model would be more accurate.
- Coordinate precision: GPS accuracy of 3-5 meters affects short distance measurements most.
- Elevation: This calculates surface distance, not accounting for significant elevation changes.
Tips for Geocaching
- Sanity check solutions: If a puzzle solution gives coordinates 100km away, something's probably wrong.
- Plan multi-caches: Calculate total distance between all stages to estimate time needed.
- Verify projections: After projecting a waypoint, calculate distance back to verify your math.
- Check cache proximity: Geocaching guidelines require minimum distances between caches (528 feet / 161 meters).
Related Navigation Tools
- Waypoint Projection: Calculate new coordinates from a start point, bearing, and distance.
- Bearing Calculator: Detailed bearing analysis including back bearings.
- Midpoint Calculator: Find the center between multiple coordinates.
- Coordinate Converter: Convert between DD, DDM, and DMS formats.