Latitude Longitude Distance Calculator
Calculate the distance between two points on Earth using latitude and longitude. Free Haversine formula calculator with results in km, miles, and nautical miles.
About This Calculator
The Latitude Longitude Distance Calculator computes the great-circle distance between any two points on Earth using their latitude and longitude coordinates. This free online tool is essential for travelers, pilots, sailors, geographers, hikers, and anyone who needs to measure the straight-line distance between geographical coordinates across the globe.
The calculator uses the Haversine formula: d = 2R × arcsin(√[sin²(Δlat/2) + cos(lat₁) × cos(lat₂) × sin²(Δlng/2)]), where R is Earth's mean radius of 6,371 km. This formula accounts for the Earth's curvature to deliver accurate great-circle distances — the shortest path along Earth's surface between two points. Results are displayed in kilometers, statute miles, and nautical miles simultaneously.
The Haversine formula was developed for navigation and is named after the haversine trigonometric function (half of a versine). It provides accuracy within 0.5% for most distances because the Earth is approximated as a sphere. For precision-critical applications such as surveying, more advanced models like Vincenty's formulae that account for Earth's ellipsoidal shape may be preferred.
Regional Coverage
India: Common distances include New Delhi (28.6139, 77.2090) to Mumbai (19.0760, 72.8777) ≈ 1,168 km, and New Delhi to Bangalore (12.9716, 77.5946) ≈ 1,740 km.
United States: Common distances include New York City (40.7128, -74.0060) to Los Angeles (34.0522, -118.2437) ≈ 3,944 km, and Chicago (41.8781, -87.6298) to Miami (25.7617, -80.1918) ≈ 1,913 km.
United Kingdom: Common distances include London (51.5074, -0.1278) to Edinburgh (55.9533, -3.1883) ≈ 534 km, and London to Manchester (53.4808, -2.2426) ≈ 262 km.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the latitude longitude distance calculator work?
The calculator uses the Haversine formula to compute the great-circle distance between two points on Earth. It takes the latitude and longitude of point A and point B in decimal degrees, then calculates the shortest distance along the Earth's surface. The formula accounts for the Earth's curvature using trigonometric functions: d = 2R × arcsin(√[sin²(Δlat/2) + cos(lat1) × cos(lat2) × sin²(Δlng/2)]), where R is Earth's radius (6,371 km).
How accurate is the latitude longitude distance calculation?
The Haversine formula is accurate to within 0.5% for most distances on Earth. The small margin of error comes from the Earth being an oblate spheroid rather than a perfect sphere. For most practical purposes like travel planning, aviation, and navigation, this level of accuracy is more than sufficient. For sub-kilometer precision, more complex models like Vincenty's formulae are used.
What is the difference between kilometers, miles, and nautical miles?
A kilometer is 1,000 meters or approximately 0.621 miles. A mile (statute mile) is 1,609 meters or approximately 1.609 kilometers. A nautical mile is based on Earth's circumference and equals exactly 1,852 meters or about 1.151 statute miles. Nautical miles are primarily used in aviation and maritime navigation because they correspond to one minute of latitude.
What is the maximum distance between two points on Earth?
The maximum great-circle distance between any two points on Earth is half the planet's circumference, approximately 20,015 km or 12,436 miles. This is the distance between antipodal points — locations directly opposite each other on the globe, such as the North and South Poles (which are exactly 20,015 km apart).
Can I use negative coordinates for southern and western hemispheres?
Yes. Use negative latitude values for the Southern Hemisphere (south of the Equator) and negative longitude values for the Western Hemisphere (west of the Prime Meridian). For example, Sydney, Australia is at latitude -33.8688 and longitude 151.2093, while New York City is at latitude 40.7128 and longitude -74.0060.
What format do I use for coordinates?
Enter coordinates in decimal degrees format. Latitude ranges from -90 (South Pole) to 90 (North Pole). Longitude ranges from -180 (west of Prime Meridian) to 180 (east of Prime Meridian). For example, the Eiffel Tower in Paris is at latitude 48.8584 and longitude 2.2945. If you have coordinates in degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS), convert them to decimal degrees first by dividing minutes by 60 and seconds by 3600.
Is this calculator free to use?
Yes, the latitude longitude distance calculator is completely free to use with no registration, hidden charges, or usage limits. Results can be shared via URL by copying the browser address after calculation, which saves all input coordinates for easy sharing.
How is this useful for travel and navigation?
Latitude longitude distance calculations are essential for aviation route planning between airports, maritime navigation across oceans, hiking and trekking route estimation using GPS coordinates, and comparing straight-line distances between cities for travel planning and logistics optimization.