Distance Between Cities Calculator
Find the straight-line distance between two cities or coordinates in miles, kilometers and nautical miles, plus direction, midpoint and time difference.
Type a city, town or landmark and press Find, or enter coordinates as latitude, longitude.
Driving distance is longer than the straight line because roads curve and detour. Flight time assumes about 500 mph plus 30 minutes for takeoff and landing; winds and routing change real schedules.
What Distance Between Cities Calculator Does
This distance calculator finds how far apart any two places are in a straight line (“as the crow flies”) in miles, kilometers and nautical miles. Type a city, town or landmark and it is located with the free Open-Meteo geocoding service; or type coordinates directly. The distance updates the moment both places are set.
Alongside the distance you get the initial compass direction from the first place to the second, the geographic midpoint, a rough flight time and the current time difference between the two places. Straight-line distance is what matters for flights, radio range and shipping by air; road distance is always longer.
How to Use Distance Between Cities Calculator
- Type the first city or coordinates and press Find
- Pick the right place if several match
- Do the same for the second place
- Read the distance in miles, kilometers and nautical miles
- Check the direction, midpoint, flight time and time difference
Formula Used by Distance Between Cities Calculator
Haversine formula
d = 2R × arcsin(√(sin²(Δφ/2) + cos φ₁ × cos φ₂ × sin²(Δλ/2)))
- φ, λ
- Latitude and longitude in radians
- R
- Mean Earth radius, 6,371.0088 km
Worked example
New York (40.714° N, 74.006° W) to Los Angeles (34.052° N, 118.244° W).
- Δφ = −6.66°, Δλ = −44.24°
- Haversine term = 0.0924
- d = 2 × 6,371 × arcsin(√0.0921)
Result: About 3,936 km, or 2,446 miles.
Distance Units
| Unit | Equals | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mile (statute) | 1.609344 km | Road distances in the U.S. and U.K. |
| 1 kilometer | 0.621371 miles | Road and map distances almost everywhere else |
| 1 nautical mile | 1.852 km = 1.15078 miles | Aviation and shipping; one minute of latitude |
How to Read Your Result
Why routes look curved
The shortest path on a sphere is a great circle, which looks curved on flat maps. Flights from the U.S. to Europe or Asia arc far north for this reason, and the compass direction you would follow changes continuously along the way; the initial direction shown is only where you start.
Flight times
The rough flight time assumes a cruise of about 500 mph plus half an hour for takeoff, climb, approach and landing. Winds make eastbound flights across the U.S. and Atlantic noticeably shorter than westbound ones, and real routes are rarely perfectly direct.
Limitations & Accuracy Notes
- Distances are straight-line rather than driving, walking or shipping routes.
- The Earth is treated as a sphere; the true ellipsoidal distance differs by up to about 0.5%.
- Place search needs an internet connection; coordinates work without it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the distance between two cities calculated?
As a great-circle distance, the shortest path over the Earth’s surface, using the haversine formula with the mean Earth radius of 6,371 km. Each city is located by its coordinates from the Open-Meteo geocoding service.
Why is the driving distance longer?
Roads follow terrain, coastlines and cities rather than a straight line, so driving routes are usually noticeably longer than the straight-line distance, and much longer across mountains or water. This tool gives the “as the crow flies” distance.
How far is New York from Los Angeles?
About 2,450 miles (3,940 km) in a straight line. Flights cover roughly that distance in five to six hours, depending on direction and winds — westbound flights are usually slower because of the jet stream.
What is a nautical mile?
Exactly 1,852 meters, about 1.15 statute miles. It is based on one minute of latitude, which is why ships and aircraft use it for navigation.
What does the initial direction mean?
The compass bearing you would start out on along the great-circle route. On long routes the bearing changes along the way, which is why flights from the U.S. to Europe curve north on a flat map.
Can I use coordinates?
Yes. Type latitude and longitude in decimal degrees separated by a comma, like 40.71, -74.01, and press Find. South latitudes and west longitudes are negative.