Distance Between Cities Calculator
Find the straight-line distance between two cities in kilometers, miles and nautical miles, with the initial compass bearing and the spherical midpoint.
Pick two cities from the list, or type coordinates for any other place, to get the distance as the crow flies: the shortest path over the Earth’s surface. The calculator uses Vincenty’s formula on the WGS-84 ellipsoid, the same Earth model GPS uses, and also shows the simpler spherical (haversine) figure many websites quote. Stored city coordinates are approximate reference points, not surveyed trip endpoints. For a specific address, use verified custom coordinates.
How to use this tool
- Choose the starting city in "From".
- Choose the destination city in "To".
- For a place not in the list, choose "Other place" and enter its latitude and longitude in decimal degrees (south and west are negative).
- Read the distance in kilometres, miles and nautical miles, the starting bearing and the midpoint.
Formula
Vincenty inverse formula on the WGS-84 ellipsoid (a = 6,378,137 m, f = 1/298.257223563)
Vincenty iterates to 10⁻¹² radians. Near antipodes it may fail, so the sphere estimate is substituted; antipodal bearings and midpoints are not unique. The haversine comparison uses d = 2R·asin(√(sin²(Δφ/2) + cos φ1·cos φ2·sin²(Δλ/2))) with R = 6,371.0088 km. Miles = km ÷ 1.609344 and nautical miles = km ÷ 1.852.
Example
From New York (40.7128, -74.0060) to London (51.5074, -0.1278) the ellipsoidal distance is about 5,585 km, which is 3,470 miles or 3,016 nautical miles. The haversine result on a sphere is 5,570 km, about 0.3% shorter. The initial bearing is 51.2°, roughly north-east, and the midpoint lies in the North Atlantic at about 52.4° N, 41.3° W.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the driving distance?
No. It is the straight-line distance over the Earth’s surface. Roads, rail lines and even flight paths are longer, so use a route planner for driving distance and time.
Why do other websites show a slightly different number?
Many treat the Earth as a perfect sphere, which can be off by a few tenths of a percent, and some measure between airports rather than city centres. Both figures are shown here so you can compare.
What does the initial bearing mean?
It is the compass direction you set off in along the shortest path. On long routes the heading changes along the way, which is why a flight from New York to London leaves heading north-east and arrives heading east-south-east.
How do I enter coordinates for another place?
Use decimal degrees: London is 51.5074, -0.1278. Convert degrees-minutes-seconds by adding minutes ÷ 60 and seconds ÷ 3,600, and make southern latitudes and western longitudes negative.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-10-30