Pick two UK cities and get the straight-line (as-the-crow-flies) distance in km and miles, the compass direction, the midpoint and a time and fuel estimate — or switch to Romania or Turkey.
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Straight-line (as-the-crow-flies) distance between city centres. By road, the real distance is usually 20–40% longer.
London → Manchester · 159 miles
Time and fuel are estimates at the chosen speed and consumption, for the estimated road distance (≈1.3× the straight line when a live route isn't available).
London → Manchester: 256 km (159 mi) · NNW · 327° · ~3 h 42 minQuick calculations for drivers. Standard formulas for consumption, cost and speed. Instant in-browser calculation, no account, no data sent. Fuel prices are indicative.
The straight-line distance is computed with the haversine formula, from the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the two cities, on a spherical globe:
For London → Manchester: straight-line ≈ 262 km (163 miles), heading north-west. By road, the real drive is around 335 km.
It shows the straight-line (as-the-crow-flies, great-circle) distance between the centres of two UK cities. It is the shortest distance across the Earth’s surface and matches flight distance, not road distance.
Straight-line distance is measured directly, “as the crow flies”, while road distance follows real roads and is usually 20–40% longer. For example, London–Manchester is ≈ 262 km straight-line but ≈ 335 km by road.
In a straight line, the London–Manchester distance is about 262 km (163 miles), heading north-west. By road, the real drive is around 335 km, depending on the route.
It uses the haversine formula, which computes the distance on a spherical globe from the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the two cities. The calculator uses each city’s centre coordinates.
No. This calculator shows the straight-line distance, not the driving distance on roads. For exact road distance and real driving time you need a route planner that accounts for roads and traffic.
Time is estimated by dividing the distance by the average speed you choose (90 km/h by default). It is an estimate for the straight-line distance; real road time varies with the route, traffic and stops.
The midpoint is the half-way point along the straight line between the two cities. It is useful, for example, to pick an equidistant meeting place for two people setting off from different cities.
Yes. The straight-line distance is exactly the great-circle flight distance used in aviation. For cities with an airport, the value shown approximates the distance a plane covers, without air-route deviations.
50 major UK cities are included — among them London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol, Sheffield and Cardiff. You can also switch the country to Romania or Turkey.
The coordinates come from a geographic database and mark each city’s centre, so the straight-line distance is accurate to within a few kilometres. Road distance and driving time remain estimates only.