Distance guide
How to measure the distance between two points on a map
Measuring the distance between two places is the most common thing people do with a map tool — and it takes about ten seconds. This guide shows you how, explains exactly what the number means, and covers the small choices that change your answer.
What you'll need
Nothing but a browser. A map distance tool like Map Measurer runs on any phone, tablet or computer, with no account and no install. If you know roughly where your two points are, you're ready.
Step by step
- Open the map measuring tool and make sure the Distance tool is selected in the toolbar.
- Find your starting point. Use the search box to jump to a place, address or postcode, or just drag and zoom the map to it.
- Click your first point on the map. A marker drops to anchor your measurement.
- Click your second point. A line connects the two and the distance appears immediately in the readout panel.
- Read the total. Switch between km and miles with the unit toggle if you prefer — short distances show in metres or feet automatically.
That's the whole job for a simple two-point measurement. If you misplace a point, use Undo to remove the last one, or Clear to start again.
Tip: zoom in before you click. The closer you are, the more precisely you can place each point on the exact spot you mean — a doorway, a trailhead, a corner of a field — and the more accurate your distance.
Worked example: how far is it across a park?
Say you want to know the straight-line distance across a local park, corner to corner. Search for the park, click the first corner, then click the diagonally opposite corner. The readout might show 0.84 km (about 0.52 mi). That single number is the as-the-crow-flies distance between those two corners — useful for sizing the space, planning a fly-past photo, or sanity-checking a longer route.
Want the distance around the park instead of across it? Don't stop at two points — keep clicking around the edge. Each click adds a segment, and the running total grows to follow your path. That's the same tool doing route distance instead of point-to-point.
How it works and what the number means
When you click two points, the tool calculates the great-circle distance between them — the shortest distance across the curved surface of the Earth, measured in metres on the ground. It is not the distance on the flat picture on your screen (a web map stretches the world to fit a rectangle), and it is not a driving distance that follows roads. It's the true straight-line ground distance.
For most everyday questions — "how far apart are these two spots?" — straight-line distance is exactly what you want. If you specifically need the distance of a journey by road, that number will be larger, because roads bend and detour. We cover that difference in detail in straight-line vs driving distance.
Limitations and accuracy
The calculation itself is accurate to the metre. In practice, two things move your result:
- Point placement. Clicking a few pixels off, especially when zoomed out, can add or remove tens of metres. Zoom in for anything where precision matters.
- Map projection. Flattening a round planet onto a screen subtly distorts the picture, more so far from the equator. It barely affects a short two-point distance, but it's worth knowing.
For a deeper look at where the figure can drift, read how accurate online map measurements really are.
FAQ
How do I measure the distance between two points on a map?
Open a map measuring tool, choose the distance mode, click the first point and then the second. The tool calculates the straight-line ground distance between them and shows it in kilometres or miles.
Is the measurement a straight line or a road distance?
Clicking two points gives the straight-line, as-the-crow-flies distance. To measure a road or trail, add points along the route so the measured path follows the real curve of the road.
What units can I measure in?
Map Measurer shows kilometres or miles, dropping to metres or feet for short distances. Toggle units at any time and every figure updates instantly.