Distance & Bearing Calculator

Distance & Bearing Calculator

Calculate horizontal distance, coordinate differences, midpoint, forward bearing and reverse bearing between two plane-coordinate points.

Important: bearings are whole-circle grid bearings measured clockwise from coordinate north. Apply grid-to-true or grid-to-magnetic corrections separately when required.

How to use this tool

1. Enter Point 1Add its name, Easting and Northing.
2. Enter Point 2Use coordinates from the same grid, datum and linear unit.
3. Calculate and verifyReview distance, deltas, forward/reverse bearings and export the result.

Quick example: load the 3-4-5 example. From P1 (1000, 2000) to P2 (1003, 2004), the distance is 5 and the grid bearing is 36.8699°.

1. Enter point coordinates

Point 1 — start

Point 2 — end

2. Results

Enter two distinct points.

Calculation method

The coordinate differences are ΔE = E₂ − E₁ and ΔN = N₂ − N₁. Horizontal distance is √(ΔE² + ΔN²). Whole-circle bearing is calculated with atan2(ΔE, ΔN), then normalised to 0°–360°.

Frequently asked questions

Is bearing measured from north or east?

This tool measures clockwise from coordinate north: north is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180° and west is 270°.

What is a reverse bearing?

It is the bearing from Point 2 back to Point 1, exactly 180° from the forward bearing after normalisation.

What is a quadrant bearing?

It expresses direction from north or south towards east or west, such as N 36°52′12″ E.

Does the distance include height difference?

No. It is a horizontal plane distance calculated from Easting and Northing only.

Can I use local coordinates?

Yes, provided both points use the same plane grid and linear unit.

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