Distance Calculator
Find the straight-line distance between major US cities or any two latitude/longitude points in miles, kilometers and nautical miles, with an estimated flight time. There's also a distance formula calculator for points on a graph or in 3D.
Distance calculator between US cities
Distance between two coordinates (latitude, longitude)
Distance between two points (x, y, z)
How the distance is calculated
Between two places on Earth the calculator uses the haversine formula, the great-circle ("as the crow flies") distance on a sphere with a mean radius of 3,958.8 miles (6,371 km). It's accurate to within about 0.5% of the true distance on Earth's slightly flattened shape. Driving distance is always longer, often by 15β25%, because roads don't run in straight lines.
City-to-city figures use approximate downtown coordinates, so distances between specific addresses can differ by a few miles. Flight time is a rough estimate at 500 mph cruising speed plus 30 minutes for takeoff and landing; actual schedules vary with wind and routing.
| Straight-line distance | Miles |
|---|---|
| New York, NY β Los Angeles, CA | 2,446 |
| New York, NY β Chicago, IL | 711 |
| Los Angeles, CA β San Francisco, CA | 347 |
| New York, NY β Washington, DC | 204 |
| Houston, TX β Dallas, TX | 225 |
| Chicago, IL β Los Angeles, CA | 1,742 |
| Miami, FL β New York, NY | 1,092 |
| Seattle, WA β Portland, OR | 145 |
| Phoenix, AZ β Las Vegas, NV | 256 |
| Atlanta, GA β Miami, FL | 606 |
In a flat plane, the distance between (xβ, yβ) and (xβ, yβ) is β((xβ β xβ)Β² + (yβ β yβ)Β²), the Pythagorean theorem; (0, 0) to (3, 4) is 5.
Common questions
How far is New York from Los Angeles?
About 2,446 miles (3,936 km) in a straight line. The drive is roughly 2,800 miles.
How do I calculate distance between two coordinates?
Use the haversine formula on latitude and longitude in radians: d = 2R Γ asin(β(sinΒ²(ΞΟ/2) + cos Οβ cos Οβ sinΒ²(ΞΞ»/2))), with R = 3,958.8 miles.
What is a nautical mile?
1,852 meters, about 1.1508 statute miles. It's used in aviation and shipping.
Why is driving distance longer than straight-line distance?
Roads follow terrain, rivers and property lines. Expect driving distance to be about 15β25% longer in most of the US.
How do I find the distance between two points on a graph?
Use β((xβ β xβ)Β² + (yβ β yβ)Β²). From (1, 2) to (4, 6) the distance is 5.
Sources
- NOAA National Geodetic Survey: Inverse and forward geodetic tools
- NIST: Nautical mile definition (1,852 m)
Related
General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check important numbers with the official source before acting on them.