No sign-up · Metre-accurate · Works on any device

Measure distance, radius
& elevation on a map

The free map distance calculator that runners, planners and surveyors actually trust. Click to plot a route, drop a radius, or trace your run — and read every measurement live.

move cursor over map

Click the map to drop points · drag a point to fine-tune, or click the line to insert one · toggle “Snap to roads” to follow streets · share with “Copy link” or save a route as GPX · map data © OpenStreetMap

Every measurement, one map

A complete map measuring toolkit

No downloads, no accounts, no watermarks. Whether you're checking how far you ran this morning or scoping a site survey, the numbers are accurate to the metre.

Distance calculator

Click to plot a path along roads, trails or straight lines. Every segment and the running total update live in kilometres or miles.

Radius & area

Drop a centre, drag out a circle, and read the radius, enclosed area and perimeter instantly — perfect for catchments and coverage.

Elevation profile

Trace a route and see the real terrain underneath — total ascent, descent and a high-resolution elevation chart for the whole path.

Search anywhere

Jump to any address, city or postcode worldwide, or tap one button to centre the map on your current location.

Metric & imperial

Switch between km / miles and metres / feet on the fly. Live cursor coordinates are always one glance away.

Private by default

Everything runs in your browser. No account, nothing stored on a server, and free for personal and professional use alike.

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Three clicks, done

How to measure on the map

01

Pick a tool

Choose Distance, Radius or Elevation from the toolbar floating over the map. Switch any time without losing your view.

02

Click on the map

Drop points to build a path or set a circle. A dashed guide line and live readout follow your cursor as you go.

03

Read your numbers

Distance, area, perimeter and full elevation profile appear instantly. Undo a point or clear and start fresh whenever.

Understanding your measurements

What the numbers actually mean

Distance is measured point to point, along the ground

Every time you drop a point, Map Measurer calculates the great-circle distance to the previous one — the shortest path across the curve of the Earth — and adds it to your running total. Because it follows real-world geometry rather than the flat picture on your screen, a straight line you draw across a map is measured as the true ground distance between those two spots, in metres. Add more points and you build a path: a route is simply the sum of its straight segments, so the more points you place around a bend, the more closely your measured line hugs the real road or trail.

This is a straight-line (as-the-crow-flies) measurement between your points, not a driving distance that snaps to roads. For a running route or a footpath that is exactly what you want; for "how far is the drive", remember that roads wind, so the road distance is always a little longer than the straight line. Our guide on straight-line versus driving distance explains when each one is the right tool.

Radius, area and perimeter for a circle

In Radius mode the first click sets a centre and the second sets the edge. The distance between them is your radius; from that single number the area (π × r²) and the perimeter (2 × π × r) follow automatically. A radius is genuinely useful for catchment thinking — the area a shop draws customers from, how far a drone can fly and return, or a "within 5 km of home" boundary — but it answers distance in a straight line, not travel time, because real journeys are slowed by roads, rivers and hills. The catchment-area guide walks through a worked example.

How accurate is it?

The maths is accurate to the metre; the limiting factor is you, and the map. Two things move the number: how precisely you place each point (zoom in for tight corners), and the fact that a flat web map is a projection of a curved planet, which subtly stretches areas far from the equator. For everyday use — measuring a run, a garden, a fence line, a delivery radius — the result is well within the accuracy you need. When the stakes are higher, read how accurate online map measurements really are before you rely on a figure.

Elevation comes from a terrain model

When you ask for an elevation profile, Map Measurer samples points evenly along your route and looks each one up in a global terrain dataset, then totals the ups (ascent) and downs (descent). It is a model of the ground, not a survey, so very small bumps can be smoothed out — but for sizing the climb in a run or ride it gives a faithful picture of the hills ahead.

Switch between kilometres/miles and metres/feet at any time with the unit toggle — every figure on the page updates instantly, so you never have to convert by hand.

Guides

Learn how to measure anything on a map

All guides →

Measure distance between two points

The simplest measurement there is — and the small things that change the answer.

Draw a radius & catchment area

Turn "within X km" into a real area you can read off the map.

Measure elevation gain on a route

Total ascent, descent and the climb profile for a run, walk or ride.

Straight-line vs driving distance

Why the two differ, and which one you actually need.

How accurate are map measurements?

What moves the number, and how to trust your result.

Browse all guides

Practical, no-nonsense how-tos for measuring on a map.

Questions & answers

Map distance calculator FAQ

Is Map Measurer free to use?

Yes. Map Measurer is free with no sign-up, no watermark and no download, for both personal and professional use.

How do I measure distance on a map?

Choose the Distance tool, then click points along your route. Each segment and the running total update live in kilometres or miles.

How accurate are the measurements?

Distances use the geodesic distance between the points you place and are accurate to the metre. Overall accuracy depends on how precisely you click each point.

Can I measure radius and area?

Yes. Pick the Radius tool, click a centre point, then click again to set the radius. Map Measurer shows the radius, enclosed area and perimeter instantly.

Can I see elevation gain for a route?

Yes. Choose the Elevation tool, trace a route, then tap Get profile to see total ascent, descent, maximum elevation and a high-resolution elevation chart sampled from terrain data.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. Map Measurer is responsive and works in any modern browser on phone, tablet or desktop.

Do you store my data or location?

No. Everything runs in your browser. There is no account, and your routes and location are not stored on a server.

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