Calculate the straight-line distance between two cities using latitude and longitude coordinates with the Haversine formula.
How far is it from one city to another? The Distance Between Cities Calculator uses the Haversine formula to compute the straight-line (great-circle) distance between any two locations on Earth given their latitude and longitude coordinates.
Unlike road distances that follow highways and streets, this calculator gives you the shortest possible distance between two points on the globe — the path an airplane would fly. This is useful for flight planning, logistics, geographic research, and general curiosity about how far apart places really are.
Enter the latitude and longitude for both the origin and destination cities, and the calculator instantly shows the distance in miles, kilometers, and nautical miles. You can find coordinates for any city using Google Maps or any mapping service — just right-click a location to see its coordinates. Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this free online tool provides instant, reliable results without manual computation.
Road distances include curves, detours, and indirect routes that inflate the actual separation between cities. For flight planning, shipping cost estimation, and geographic analysis, the straight-line distance is often more useful. This calculator gives you that direct distance accurately using the same formula navigation systems use. Having a precise figure at your fingertips empowers better planning and more confident decisions.
a = sin²(Δlat/2) + cos(lat1) × cos(lat2) × sin²(Δlon/2) c = 2 × atan2(√a, √(1−a)) d = R × c Where R = 6,371 km (Earth's mean radius)
Result: 2,451 miles (3,944 km)
New York City (40.71°N, 74.01°W) to Los Angeles (34.05°N, 118.24°W) is approximately 2,451 miles or 3,944 kilometers via the great-circle route. Actual flight distance is slightly longer due to air traffic routing.
The Haversine formula treats Earth as a sphere with radius 6,371 km. It converts latitude and longitude differences into a central angle, then multiplies by the radius to get arc length. The formula handles the math of computing distances on a curved surface rather than a flat plane.
Pilots and dispatchers use great-circle distances for flight planning and fuel estimation. Shipping companies use them for rate calculation. Astronomers use the same principle to measure angular distances between stars.
Latitude measures north/south from the equator (0° to ±90°). Longitude measures east/west from the Prime Meridian (0° to ±180°). Together they uniquely identify any point on Earth's surface.
The Haversine formula assumes a perfect sphere. Earth is actually an oblate spheroid, slightly flattened at the poles. For distances over 1,000 km, the Vincenty formula provides sub-meter accuracy but is more complex to compute.
The Haversine formula calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their latitudes and longitudes. It accounts for Earth's curvature and is accurate for most practical purposes.
The Haversine formula is accurate to within 0.5% for most distances. Earth is slightly ellipsoidal, so the formula introduces small errors that are negligible for city-to-city calculations.
Google Maps: right-click a location to see coordinates. Wikipedia city pages list coordinates in the infobox. Searching "city name coordinates" in any search engine also works quickly.
No. Driving distance is always longer than straight-line distance because roads follow terrain and are not perfectly direct. Straight-line distance is typically 60–80% of driving distance.
Yes, this gives a good approximation. Actual flight paths may be slightly longer due to air traffic control routing, restricted airspace, and wind-optimized routes, but they follow near-great-circle paths.
One nautical mile equals 1.852 kilometers or 1.151 statute miles. Nautical miles are used in aviation and maritime navigation because one nautical mile equals one minute of latitude.