Why is the route curved?

A shortest path across a sphere is a great-circle arc. When projected onto a flat map it often appears curved. A straight line on the screen generally represents a different path.

Is the radius a driving-distance area?

No. It is a surface-distance circle around waypoint one. Road access, traffic, terrain and border restrictions are not modeled.

What does initial bearing mean?

It is the forward direction from the previous waypoint at the start of that leg, measured clockwise from north. The bearing generally changes along a great-circle path. Coincident and antipodal points do not have a unique initial bearing.

Great-Circle Distance & Radius Map Planner

Measure multi-stop great-circle routes, initial bearings and radius coverage on a world map. Add coordinates, reorder waypoints and export GeoJSON.

Distance UnitRadius (km)5,570.23 km Total

Route Progress · 0%DurationLoop

Motion is a distance-weighted illustration, not travel time. Click the map to add stops. Drag a row handle to reorder, or use its arrow keys. Radius follows waypoint 1.

Waypoint NameLatitudeLongitude

Waypoint	Latitude / Longitude	Leg Distance	Initial Bearing	Order
	51.5074, -0.1278	Start / Radius Center	—
	40.7128, -74.0060	5,570.23 km	288.3°

Illustrative geography, not navigation or a boundary authority. Natural Earth outlines are generalized; disputed borders and territory definitions vary. Area and distance estimates use a spherical Earth, not a land survey.

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What Is the Great-Circle Distance & Radius Map Planner?

A world-scale distance planner with up to 50 labeled waypoints, great-circle legs, initial bearings and a radius circle centered on the first waypoint. It uses a spherical Earth with mean radius 6,371.0088 km and shows distances in kilometers, statute miles or nautical miles.

How It Works

Click the map to add waypoints or enter latitude and longitude explicitly. Rename or remove stops, drag the row handles to reorder, or use their arrow keys and up/down buttons. Reverse the entire route in one action. Play, pause, scrub or loop a distance-weighted route animation with a configurable duration; the motion is illustrative, not real travel time. Set a radius up to 10,000 km, choose units and export the point, route and radius features as GeoJSON.

When to Use It

Explore straight-line reach, educational geography and broad planning scenarios. These are shortest surface paths on a sphere, not road routes, shipping lanes or actual flight plans. The map does not check terrain, access, airspace, borders, weather or navigational hazards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the route curved?: A shortest path across a sphere is a great-circle arc. When projected onto a flat map it often appears curved. A straight line on the screen generally represents a different path.
Is the radius a driving-distance area?: No. It is a surface-distance circle around waypoint one. Road access, traffic, terrain and border restrictions are not modeled.
What does initial bearing mean?: It is the forward direction from the previous waypoint at the start of that leg, measured clockwise from north. The bearing generally changes along a great-circle path. Coincident and antipodal points do not have a unique initial bearing.

Found an issue? Send Feedback. See our data sources and update policy for tools that depend on changing information.