Bearing calculator
Find the initial great-circle bearing and cardinal direction between two WGS84 coordinates.
How it works & useful details
How it works & limits
This is the initial heading of a spherical great-circle path using the WGS84 mean-radius model. The final heading usually differs after a long journey.
It is not a rhumb-line calculation and does not provide a route, magnetic declination or navigational clearance.
Private local calculation
Coordinates and pasted data stay in this browser tab. These tools use no map tiles, geocoding, routing, elevation data or network requests.
About this tool
Bearing calculator finds the initial great-circle bearing from one WGS84 coordinate to another and reports the matching cardinal direction. It is useful for orienteering, antenna aiming, and checking navigation data.
The calculation uses a spherical model of the Earth and runs entirely on your device. No map tiles, geocoding, or routing services are contacted.
How to use it
- Enter the starting and destination coordinates in decimal degrees.
- Read the initial bearing in degrees from true north.
- Check the cardinal direction for a quick reference.
- Copy the result or adjust the coordinates to compare routes.
Worked example
From London (51.5074, −0.1278) to New York (40.7128, −74.006), the initial great-circle bearing is 288.33°, which is west-northwest and reported as W. The final bearing, the heading on arrival, is 231.21°, which is southwest.
The heading changes along the way because a great circle is the shortest path on a sphere. A plane following it heads northwest out of London, crosses the Atlantic well north of both cities, then turns southwest toward New York. A constant compass heading, called a rhumb line, is easier to steer but longer.
True bearing vs. compass bearing
Bearings here are measured clockwise from true north: 0° is north, 90° east, 180° south, 270° west. A magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which differs by the local magnetic declination. That difference can be several degrees and changes over time. Correct for it with current declination data before using a result with a compass.
Useful applications include aiming a directional antenna or satellite dish, checking the plausibility of a navigation track, and orienting photos or survey sketches. For short distances, a few kilometres, the initial and final bearings are practically the same.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the initial bearing not constant along the route?
On a sphere, the heading changes as you travel along a great-circle path, so only the starting bearing is fixed.
Does it account for magnetic declination?
No. The bearing is relative to true north; magnetic variation depends on location and time and is not modeled.
Do the coordinates leave my browser?
No. Coordinates are processed locally and no network request is made.
Why is the bearing from B to A not exactly the opposite of A to B?
On a sphere, the initial bearing from B back to A equals the final bearing from A to B, turned 180°. For London and New York that is 51.21°, not 108.33°. The two only match exactly along the equator or a meridian.