How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the latitude and longitude for the first location in decimal degrees.
- Click the "Calculate" button to compute the distance to a second location.
- For the second location, you will be prompted to enter its latitude and longitude.
- The calculator will display the distance between the two points in kilometers or miles.
- You can switch between kilometers and miles using the radio buttons.
The Haversine Formula
The Haversine formula calculates the shortest distance between two points on the Earth's surface, assuming it's a perfect sphere. The formula is:
d = 2 × R × arcsin(√[sin²(Δlat/2) + cos(lat1) × cos(lat2) × sin²(Δlon/2)])
Where:
- d = distance between the two points
- R = Earth's radius (mean radius = 6,371 km = 3,959 miles)
- lat1, lat2 = latitude of the first and second points in radians
- lon1, lon2 = longitude of the first and second points in radians
- Δlat = difference in latitude
- Δlon = difference in longitude
Example
Let's calculate the distance between New York (40.7128° N, -74.0060° W) and London (51.5074° N, -0.1278° W).
Input 1: Latitude 1 = 40.7128, Longitude 1 = -74.0060
Input 2: Latitude 2 = 51.5074, Longitude 2 = -0.1278
Click "Calculate" to get the distance of approximately 5574 km (3449 miles).
Usage Tips
- Enter coordinates in decimal degrees, not degrees-minutes-seconds format.
- The calculator uses the mean radius of Earth (6371 km), but actual distances may vary slightly due to Earth's oblate spheroid shape.
- This calculator is useful for geographic distance calculations, navigation, and mapping applications.