🧭Bearing & Direction Calculator
Enter two coordinates to find the compass bearing and distance from point A to point B.
Free Bearing & Direction Calculator
This bearing calculator finds the initial compass bearing — the direction you'd need to travel in a straight line — from one latitude/longitude coordinate to another, along with the great-circle distance between them. Bearing is measured clockwise from true north, from 0° to 360°.
It uses the standard spherical bearing formula and the haversine formula for distance, both of which account for the Earth's curvature rather than treating coordinates as points on a flat plane.
Useful for navigation, geography coursework, and mapping applications. Free, runs entirely in your browser, no sign-up required.
About the Bearing & Direction Calculator
Features
Bearing and direction
Precise angle plus a 16-point compass label.
Distance in km and mi
Great-circle distance in both units at once.
Visual compass
See the bearing plotted as an arrow on a compass rose.
Instant, private
Runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a compass bearing?
A compass bearing is the direction of travel measured clockwise from true north, expressed as an angle from 0° to 360° — 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west.
What does 'initial bearing' mean?
It's the direction you'd need to head at the start of your journey to follow the shortest (great-circle) path — because the Earth is curved, this bearing actually changes along the route unless you're traveling along the equator or a meridian.
How is the bearing calculated?
Using spherical trigonometry with both points' latitude and longitude, applying the standard forward azimuth formula rather than treating the coordinates as points on a flat plane.
What is great-circle distance?
It's the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere, calculated here using the haversine formula, which accounts for the Earth's curvature.
Why doesn't a straight line on a flat map match this bearing?
Flat maps distort the Earth's curved surface. A straight line on most map projections is not the shortest real-world path, so the calculated bearing and distance differ from what a ruler on a map would suggest.
What coordinate format should I use?
Decimal degrees, with negative values for south latitude and west longitude — for example, New York City is approximately 40.7128, -74.0060.
What do the compass direction abbreviations mean?
They're the 16-point compass rose labels — N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, and so on — giving a human-readable approximation of the precise numeric bearing.
Is the distance in miles or kilometers?
Both are shown — kilometers as the primary result, with the mile equivalent alongside it.
How accurate is this calculation?
It models the Earth as a perfect sphere, which is accurate to within about 0.5% of real-world distances — sufficient for most navigation, geography, and educational purposes.
Is this calculator free to use?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up, and it runs entirely in your browser.