How to measure the distance between two places
Why the shortest route on a globe looks curved on a map, how much longer roads are, and how to turn miles into realistic travel times.
Open the tool: Distance Calculator
Why flight paths look curved
Flat web maps stretch the far north and south. The shortest path from New York to Tokyo passes over Alaska, which looks like a big detour on a flat map but is the straight line on the globe. The dashed line on our map shows that great-circle path.
Turning distance into driving time
On US interstates, plan for an average of 55 to 60 mph including fuel and food stops. A 600-mile day is about 10 to 11 hours on the road. The drive time shown is pure driving time, so add breaks.
Tips
- Add the state or country to avoid places with the same name, such as Paris, Texas.
- Use coordinates for trailheads, campsites or places without an address.
- Click a search result list item to fix a wrong match.
- Switch to nautical miles for boating and aviation.