Online Bearing Calculator Between Coordinates
Calculate compass bearing, azimuth, and direction between two GPS coordinates with our free online bearing calculator. Fast, accurate, and easy to use.
About Bearing Calculator
The Doffl Bearing Calculator determines the exact compass bearing, azimuth, and great-circle distance between any two geographical coordinates. Designed for navigators, pilots, surveyors, GIS professionals, and outdoor enthusiasts, it delivers precise directional headings based on spherical trigonometry.
This utility operates entirely within your web browser, ensuring fast calculation speeds and complete data privacy. Simply enter your origin and destination coordinates to instantly view forward bearings, back bearings, and cardinal directions without installing software or creating an account.
Key features
- Calculates initial forward bearing and final bearing instantly
- Computes great-circle distance between two coordinate pairs
- Supports standard decimal degrees and DMS coordinate formats
- Displays 16-point cardinal compass directions accurately
- Calculates reverse or back bearing automatically
- Runs locally in the browser with no installation needed
How to use Bearing Calculator
- Enter the latitude and longitude of your starting point.
- Enter the latitude and longitude of your destination point.
- Select your preferred distance unit, such as kilometers or miles.
- Click calculate to compute the compass bearing and distance.
- Review the initial azimuth, reverse heading, and cardinal direction.
Who is it for?
- Aviation and maritime passage planning between waypoints
- Hikers, geocachers, and orienteers verifying trail headings
- GIS analysts and surveyors measuring geographic vector angles
- Telecommunications engineers aligning directional antennas
- Drone pilots configuring autonomous waypoint navigation routes
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between initial and final bearing?
Because the Earth is spherical, the shortest path along a great-circle route is curved, causing your compass heading to change continuously. The initial bearing is your heading at the starting coordinate, while the final bearing is the heading upon reaching the destination.
Does this bearing calculator account for the curvature of the Earth?
Yes, the tool uses the spherical law of cosines and the haversine formula to compute accurate great-circle bearings and distances across the globe.
What coordinate formats can I use?
You can input coordinates in standard decimal degrees (for example, 37.7749, -122.4194) or degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS) format.
Is this bearing calculator free to use?
Yes, this browser-based tool is completely free to use with no account registration or software downloads required.
What is a reverse bearing?
A reverse bearing, or back bearing, is the opposite direction of your path, exactly 180 degrees away from your initial heading. It indicates the compass direction required to return to your starting point.