distances.online is a free online tool that answers one simple question: how far apart are two places? Type two or more cities, addresses or landmarks, or click directly on the map, and you get the straight-line distance, an estimated flight time and, when a road exists, the driving distance and driving time, all drawn on the same map.
What the calculator does
- Straight-line distance. The shortest path between two points on the surface of the Earth, also called the great-circle or "as the crow flies" distance. It is what an airplane roughly follows.
- Estimated flight time. The straight-line distance divided by a typical cruising speed of a commercial airliner, plus a small allowance for take-off and landing. It is an estimate, not a timetable.
- Road distance and driving time. When the places are connected by roads, the calculator asks a routing engine for the real driving route and shows the kilometres and the estimated time behind the wheel.
- Multiple stops. You can add more than two places; the distances are summed in the order you added them.
- Shareable links. The URL updates as you add places, so you can send the exact comparison to someone else.
How the distances are computed
The straight-line distance uses the haversine formula, which treats the Earth as a sphere with a mean radius of 6,371 km and computes the shortest arc between two coordinates. Over short distances the error is negligible; over intercontinental distances it stays within a fraction of a percent of the exact ellipsoidal value, which is more than enough for planning a trip.
Road distances come from open routing engines built on OpenStreetMap road data. They pick the fastest road route between the points, so the figure can change when roads open, close or get reclassified.
Where the data comes from
- Place search and coordinates are provided by geocoding services built on OpenStreetMap data (Nominatim, Photon and LocationIQ, depending on the configuration).
- Road routes come from the OSRM project or from LocationIQ / Mapbox routing, which also rely on OpenStreetMap.
- Map tiles are rendered from OpenStreetMap data by the map provider configured for the site.
Map data is © OpenStreetMap contributors and is available under the Open Database License. We are grateful to the volunteers who keep that map accurate.
Why we built it
Most distance tools either show a single number with no map, or bury the answer under ads and sign-up walls. We wanted something that opens instantly, works in your language, shows the flight and the road options side by side, and respects your privacy: no accounts, no personal data collected, no history of what you searched.
The site is available in nine languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu.
Who is behind it
distances.online is built and maintained by an independent developer based in Argentina. It is not affiliated with any airline, map company or travel agency. The site is supported by advertising so it can remain free.
Accuracy and limitations
The figures are estimates for planning purposes. Flight times ignore wind, routing restrictions and airport procedures; road times ignore traffic and stops; place search may return a location with the same name in a different country, so always check the pin on the map. Do not rely on the site for navigation, fuel planning or any safety-critical decision.
Get in touch
Found a wrong distance, a city that does not resolve, or a translation mistake? Write to us through the contact page. We read every message.