Find the initial compass bearing and direction between two latitude/longitude points.
Coordinate calculations run locally in your browser. Great-circle distance, bearing, midpoint, destination, and radius tools use a spherical Earth model (mean radius 6,371,008.8 m), so survey-grade ellipsoidal/geodesic results can differ slightly.
Compare route models, midpoint and bearing differences between the same coordinates.
| Metric | Value | Meaning |
|---|
Latitude/longitude order, hemisphere, datum and precision can all change the interpreted location. WebToolArc keeps WGS84 assumptions visible and separates conversion math from geocoding.
A formatted coordinate can look plausible while being swapped, rounded too aggressively or interpreted in the wrong system. Decode or open a map link before importing important points elsewhere.
Use the interactive product above first. These notes add interpretation, verification and limits below the results and product controls.
The initial azimuth from point A to B is not generally the compass direction you will maintain for the entire trip on a sphere. Long routes can curve substantially, so distinguish an initial great-circle bearing from a constant rhumb-line bearing.
For short local routes, adding or subtracting 180° is a useful reciprocal-direction check. Over long great-circle paths, the arrival/final bearing can differ from that simple intuition because the heading changes along the route.
Latitude is north/south and normally ranges from −90° to 90°; longitude is east/west and ranges from −180° to 180°. Swapping them can still produce valid-looking numbers while describing a completely different location.
Real navigation may need an ellipsoidal Earth model, local magnetic declination, restricted routes or terrain information. This calculator describes geometric direction between coordinates and does not replace route planning or navigation equipment.
Coordinate formulas normally produce a true-north bearing. A physical compass follows magnetic north, which can differ by local declination and date. Convert only when a real navigation task specifically requires a magnetic bearing, and record which reference the final number uses.
WebToolArc