Bearing Calculator
Find the compass bearing from one coordinate to another. Enter the start and the destination as latitude and longitude pairs on two lines, and the calculator returns the initial great-circle bearing, the final bearing on arrival and the constant rhumb line bearing, each in degrees from true north with a 16-point compass direction, plus the distance. Useful for navigation, aviation, hiking and antenna alignment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enter the two points?
Put the start on the first line and the destination on the second, each as latitude and longitude in decimal degrees separated by a comma or a space, for example 52.5200, 13.4050. Exactly two lines are required.
What is the initial bearing?
The initial bearing is the direction you set off in when you follow the great circle, the shortest route over the Earth's surface. It is measured clockwise from true north, so 0 degrees is north, 90 east, 180 south and 270 west.
Why does the final bearing differ from the initial bearing?
On a great circle the direction changes continuously, except along the equator or a meridian. The final bearing is the direction of travel as you arrive, which is why long routes such as Europe to North America start and end on noticeably different headings.
What is a rhumb line bearing?
A rhumb line crosses every meridian at the same angle, so you can follow it with one constant compass heading. It is longer than the great circle but simpler to steer, and it appears as a straight line on a Mercator chart.
Is the bearing relative to true north or magnetic north?
All bearings refer to true north. To steer with a magnetic compass, add or subtract the local magnetic declination, which depends on your location and changes over time.
What does the compass direction mean?
Each bearing is also shown as one of 16 compass points, such as N, NNE or WSW, each covering 22.5 degrees. It is a quick way to read the direction without interpreting the exact angle.
What happens if both points are the same?
Between identical points there is no direction, so the calculator reports an error instead of a meaningless angle. Enter two different coordinates.
Which Earth model is used?
Bearings and the distance are computed on a sphere with the formulas of the Turf geospatial library. For typical navigation the difference to an ellipsoidal calculation is a small fraction of a degree, while precise geodetic work uses ellipsoidal formulas.
Can I use points in degrees, minutes and seconds?
This tool reads decimal degrees. Convert values like 40°26'46"N 79°58'56"W with the DMS Converter first and paste the decimal results here.
How precise are the results?
Bearings are rounded to two decimal places of a degree, about 36 arc seconds, and the distance to the meter. Input coordinates with at least four decimal places give results at that level.