Calculate great-circle distance between two coordinates using the Haversine formula. Results in kilometers, miles, and nautical miles.
The great circle is the shortest path between any two points on the surface of a sphere. The Great Circle Distance Calculator uses the Haversine formula with Earth's mean radius (R = 6,371 km) to compute the geodesic distance between two geographic coordinates.
This is the fundamental calculation behind aviation route planning, maritime navigation, and satellite communications. When an airplane flies from London to Tokyo, it follows a great-circle route that appears as a curve on flat maps but is actually the shortest path on the globe. Similarly, ships navigate along great circles for fuel efficiency.
Enter the latitude and longitude of two points to get the great-circle distance in kilometers, statute miles, and nautical miles. The calculator also shows the initial bearing (direction) from the first point to the second, which is useful for navigation. Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this free online tool provides instant, reliable results without manual computation.
Great-circle distance is the standard measurement for aviation, maritime, and satellite applications. Pilots, navigators, and telecommunications engineers rely on this calculation daily. This tool provides the accurate geodesic distance that mapping apps and navigation systems use internally. Having a precise figure at your fingertips empowers better planning and more confident decisions.
Haversine: a = sin²(Δφ/2) + cos(φ1) × cos(φ2) × sin²(Δλ/2) c = 2 × atan2(√a, √(1−a)) d = R × c R = 6,371 km 1 NM = 1.852 km = 1.15078 mi
Result: 9,562 km (5,940 mi / 5,163 NM)
Tokyo (35.68°N, 139.65°E) to London (51.51°N, 0.13°W) is approximately 9,562 km via the great-circle route. This path goes north over Siberia, which appears unusual on a flat map but is shorter than flying due west.
Before GPS, navigators used great-circle calculations with sextants and chronometers to chart efficient courses across oceans. Modern GPS systems still use great-circle distance as the fundamental measurement for routing algorithms.
The formula computes the central angle between two points on a sphere, then multiplies by the radius to get arc length. The "haversine" function (half-versine) was historically preferred because it reduces rounding errors when computing small distances with limited-precision calculators.
While great-circle routes are the shortest, actual flight paths deviate due to jet stream winds, restricted airspace, ETOPS requirements (distance from emergency airports), and air traffic control routing. Still, great-circle distance provides the theoretical minimum.
Aviation uses nautical miles because of the direct relationship to latitude. Flying 60 nautical miles means you've traversed exactly one degree of latitude, making navigation calculations straightforward.
A great circle is any circle on a sphere whose center coincides with the center of the sphere. The equator is a great circle. Any two points on Earth define a unique great circle (unless they're antipodal).
Aircraft follow near-great-circle routes to minimize fuel consumption and flight time. A flight from New York to Singapore flies over the Arctic because the great-circle route is thousands of miles shorter than an equatorial path.
Nautical miles are the standard distance unit in aviation and maritime navigation. One nautical mile equals one minute of latitude, making it easy to measure distances on navigation charts.
Accurate to within 0.5% for any distance on Earth. The main source of error is assuming Earth is a perfect sphere. For precision applications, the Vincenty formula (ellipsoidal model) improves accuracy to sub-meter levels.
This is a distortion of flat map projections (especially Mercator). On a globe, great-circle routes are straight. On Mercator maps, only the equator and meridians appear straight; all other great circles curve.
The initial bearing is the compass direction you would face at the starting point to head toward the destination along the great-circle route. It changes continuously along the path on most routes.