How to find the distance as the crow flies
On this page the search box adds places: type the first town and pick it, then the second. Each place becomes a point, the map zooms to show both, and the straight-line distance appears under the map. You can also tap the map, or paste coordinates such as 51.5074, -0.1278 for an exact spot. More places add more legs; Undo removes the last one.
Reading the result
The distance is measured along the geodesic, the shortest path over the WGS84 ellipsoid, the model of the Earth that GPS uses. It is not a flat-map ruler: over thousands of miles a straight line on a Mercator map is noticeably longer than the true shortest path, so the tool draws the real route, which shows as a curve.
The table gives each leg’s initial bearing: the compass direction, in degrees from true north, you would set off in. On long legs the bearing changes along the way, which is why the line curves. Some examples measured here between city centres:
- New York to London: 3,470.5 miles (5,585.2 km), setting off at 51°.
- Los Angeles to Tokyo: 5,492 miles (8,838.5 km), setting off at 306°, north-west over the Pacific.
- Sydney to Perth: 2,048.9 miles (3,297.3 km), setting off at 264°.
What it isn’t
Driving, rail or sailing distances are longer because routes bend around land, water and terrain, and a flight’s actual track depends on winds and airspace. For a road distance, trace the road with many points instead; the base tool measures any path you draw. Share result sends a link to the same two points, and KML opens the line in Google Earth.