How do I measure the distance of a route on a map?

Click along the map to drop the points of the route you want to measure, then finish with a double-click or the “Finish” button. The tool adds up the length of every leg and instantly shows the total distance in metres, kilometres and miles.

Does it measure road distance?

No: it measures in a straight line between the points you drop, summing each leg. To follow the shape of a road, a river or a trail, drop more points along its curve and the measurement will hug that route.

How many metres are in a kilometre and in a mile?

A kilometre is 1,000 metres. A mile is 1,609.344 metres, i.e. about 1.61 kilometres. The tool shows all three units at once so you can compare.

How accurate is the measurement?

The distance is computed on a sphere, so it accounts for the curvature of the Earth, and coordinates are stored to about one-metre precision. Real accuracy depends on where you click: the more you zoom in while drawing, the finer the measurement.

Measure a distance by drawing the route on a map

This tool is the sibling of measuring an area, but for lengths: instead of enclosing a surface, you trace a route point by point on the map and we instantly tell you how long it is, in metres, kilometres and miles. It is handy for measuring a hike, your commute, the loop you jog or any path you are curious about. And the route you draw travels in the link: copy the URL and share it — whoever opens it sees your exact route.

How to use it

Click on the map to drop the points of the route:

📏 Route: click each point of the journey —a corner, a junction, a bend— and the line grows as you go. The more points you drop along the path, the closer the measurement hugs the real route.
When you are done, double-click or press the “✓ Finish” button.

You can then adjust the route by dragging it whole or moving its points, and the distance recalculates on its own. Press Esc to cancel a half-drawn route and “✕ Clear” to start over.

Quick equivalences

Distance	Equivalent
1 mile	1,609.34 m · 1.61 km
1 kilometre	1,000 m · 0.62 miles
1 metre	0.001 km · 0.000621 miles
10,000 steps	≈ 7.5 km (about 4.7 miles)

Prefer to see a distance as a circle on the map (for example, “how far could I get in 5 km?”)? Use the distances tool.

Examples: routes already drawn

Click and you will see the route drawn on the map, ready to adjust:

A walk across Hyde Park, London: roughly 1.7 km
The Mall, from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace: about 1 km

Keep exploring distances

Articles

Distances

How far is 10,000 steps?

10,000 steps is about 7.5 km (roughly 4.7 miles). Where the number comes from, how many steps you really need and how long it takes. See it drawn to scale on a map.

Read →

All articles →

Frequently asked questions about measuring distances

How do I measure the distance of a route on a map?: Click along the map to drop the points of the route you want to measure, then finish with a double-click or the “Finish” button. The tool adds up the length of every leg and instantly shows the total distance in metres, kilometres and miles.
Does it measure road distance?: No: it measures in a straight line between the points you drop, summing each leg. To follow the shape of a road, a river or a trail, drop more points along its curve and the measurement will hug that route.
How many metres are in a kilometre and in a mile?: A kilometre is 1,000 metres. A mile is 1,609.344 metres, i.e. about 1.61 kilometres. The tool shows all three units at once so you can compare.
How accurate is the measurement?: The distance is computed on a sphere, so it accounts for the curvature of the Earth, and coordinates are stored to about one-metre precision. Real accuracy depends on where you click: the more you zoom in while drawing, the finer the measurement.

Would you rather measure an area than a distance? Use measure an area. You can also visualise distances, liters or kilos, or go back to the Hectareometer.