More in Compass (5)
Compass · Great-circle distance
Distance Arc
Plot the shortest path over the earth, then compare it with the route you would actually drive. Type two places and the arc draws itself.
Distance Arc
Try your own cities →
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How to use Distance Arc
- Type two place names in the origin and destination fields — cities, airports, or addresses. Autocomplete suggestions appear as you type.
- The arc draws across the map the moment both endpoints resolve. Switch between kilometers and miles with the unit toggle.
- Read the total distance, forward bearing, and midpoint in the results bento below the map.
- Tap "Swap" to reverse origin and destination, or "Reset" to start a new measurement.
01 · Real-world fits
Common use cases
- Estimating a flight path length before booking a ticket
- Planning a road trip or sailing route around the globe
- Comparing great-circle distance to driving distance for freight and logistics
- Teaching geography — showing why a Tokyo-to-New-York flight arcs over the North Pole
02 · The honest pitch
Why Distance Arc?
Most distance calculators show a number in a box. Distance Arc shows the arc — a cyan dashed great-circle path drawn on a dark editorial map, with the math (Haversine) shown in the bento. The map comes from MapLibre GL JS with OpenStreetMap data; the geocoder is Nominatim; everything loads in seconds and nothing about your search is saved to a server.
03 · Edge cases