Question 1

What does "as the crow flies" mean?

Accepted Answer

"As the crow flies" refers to the shortest distance between two points on Earth's surface, measured along a straight line. It's called this because crows are known to fly directly to their destination rather than following roads or paths.

Question 2

How accurate is this calculator?

Accepted Answer

Our calculator uses the Haversine formula to calculate distances on a spherical Earth, which is accurate to within 0.5% for most distances. The formula accounts for Earth's curvature, providing precise measurements for straight-line distances.

Question 3

Why is straight-line distance different from driving?

Accepted Answer

Straight-line distance is the shortest path between two points, while driving distance follows roads, highways, and terrain. Driving distances are typically 20-50% longer due to the need to follow established routes, avoid obstacles, and navigate around geographical features.

Question 4

Can I measure distance between any two points?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can measure distances between cities using our search feature, click on any points on the map, use your GPS location, or enter specific addresses. The calculator works with any two locations on Earth.

Question 5

What units are supported?

Accepted Answer

We display distances in both miles and kilometers. The calculator automatically shows both units for every calculation, so you can use whichever measurement system you prefer.

Question 6

How is the distance calculated?

Accepted Answer

We use the Haversine formula, which calculates the great-circle distance between two points on a sphere given their longitudes and latitudes. This accounts for Earth's curvature and provides the shortest distance over the Earth's surface.

CrowFliesDistance

Portland to San Francisco Distance

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