Route Distance Calculator

Route distance and travel time estimate from coordinates

This Route Distance Calculator helps you estimate how far it is between two points and how long the trip might take. It is designed for situations where you have coordinates (latitude and longitude) but you do not necessarily have a mapping app open, or you want a quick planning estimate without routing details. The calculator gives you two distances: the straight-line distance (as the crow flies) and an estimated road distance using a detour factor that accounts for real roads not being perfectly straight.

Most people search for “route distance calculator” when they are planning driving time, fuel budgets, delivery routes, or travel schedules. A single raw number is not enough for those decisions, so this tool also estimates travel time using an average speed. If you do not know your speed, you can leave it blank and the calculator will use a sensible default. You can also switch between kilometres and miles to match your region or vehicle settings.

The key idea is simple. Coordinates give you the shortest possible distance over the Earth’s surface between two points (a great-circle distance). Real routes are usually longer because roads bend, detour around obstacles, follow terrain, and run through towns. The detour factor lets you convert that straight-line distance into a practical “likely driving distance” estimate. If you have better knowledge of the route (for example, you know it is mostly highway or mostly urban streets), you can adjust the detour percentage to better fit reality.

Assumptions and how to use this calculator

• The straight-line distance is calculated using coordinates and an Earth-radius model, which is a good approximation for planning.
• The “road distance” is an estimate: straight-line distance multiplied by a detour factor (default 15%).
• If you leave average speed blank, the calculator uses a default of 80 km/h (or 50 mph when using miles).
• Travel time is estimated using road distance and average speed, and does not include stops, traffic, roadworks, or border delays.
• The result is most useful for planning and comparison; for turn-by-turn routing and exact distances, use a navigation app.

Common questions

Why is the road distance longer than the straight-line distance?

Straight-line distance is the shortest path between two points. Roads rarely follow that exact path because they have to connect existing streets, avoid obstacles, follow terrain, and pass through towns. The detour factor is a simple way to account for that difference. If your route is very direct (long highway segments), use a smaller detour percentage. If it is complex (city driving, mountain passes, or indirect roads), use a larger one.

What detour factor should I use?

The default 15% is a general-purpose estimate that works reasonably for many trips. For mostly highway routes between cities, 5% to 12% can be more realistic. For urban or rural routes with indirect roads, 15% to 30% can be more realistic. If you have a known route distance from a map once, you can back-calculate your typical detour factor and reuse it for similar trips.

I only have an address, not coordinates. Can I still use this?

This calculator needs coordinates because it does not geocode addresses into latitude and longitude. If you have an address, you can usually get coordinates by searching the location in a maps app and copying the pin coordinates. Once you have the start and end coordinates, this calculator can produce a quick distance and time estimate.

How accurate is the travel time estimate?

It is a planning estimate, not a guarantee. The calculation assumes a steady average speed and does not include traffic, stops, rest breaks, toll queues, weather, or delays. To improve accuracy, set the average speed to what you realistically maintain on that kind of route and adjust the detour factor based on how direct the roads are.

Does this calculator work for short distances and long distances?

Yes, but interpret the results differently. For short distances, small road detours and traffic effects can dominate, so the time estimate can be less reliable. For very long distances, the great-circle distance is still a good baseline, but real routes may include large detours due to road networks or geography. If you are planning logistics, treat the output as a starting point and then validate with an actual routing tool when you can.