Length & Distance Converter
Convert between distance units, or convert real-world distances to geographic units (degrees, radians).
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What is the Length & Distance Converter?
The Length & Distance Converter converts between common linear measurement units used in GIS, navigation, engineering, and everyday distance calculation. Supported units include metres, kilometres, miles, feet, yards, nautical miles, and geographic degrees.
The conversion to geographic degrees is particularly useful in GIS: many tools that work with WGS 84 data (buffer distances, grid spacing, simplification tolerances) require inputs in degrees rather than metric units. This tool provides the quick conversion needed to set those parameters correctly.
Common use cases
GIS buffer distance conversion
Convert a buffer distance from metres or kilometres to degrees for tools that expect WGS 84 coordinate units.
Navigation and aviation
Convert distances between statute miles, nautical miles, and kilometres for flight planning, maritime routing, or GPS display.
Engineering drawings
Convert between imperial (feet, yards) and metric (metres) units when integrating survey data with engineering CAD drawings.
GPS track analysis
Convert total track lengths from metres (as calculated by GIS) to kilometres, miles, or nautical miles for reporting.
Frequently asked questions
How many metres are in a degree of latitude?
One degree of latitude is approximately 111,139 metres (111.139 km) everywhere on Earth — latitude lines are equally spaced. One degree of longitude varies: it equals 111,139 m × cos(latitude), so it is about 111 km at the equator, 78 km at 45° latitude, and approaches zero at the poles.
What is a nautical mile and when is it used?
A nautical mile is defined as 1,852 metres exactly, and corresponds to one minute of arc of latitude. It is used in aviation, maritime navigation, and meteorology because it directly relates to geographic coordinates — a speed of one nautical mile per hour is one knot.
How do I convert a buffer distance from metres to degrees?
Divide the distance in metres by 111,139 to get an approximate value in degrees. For example, 500 m ÷ 111,139 ≈ 0.0045°. This is a flat-Earth approximation valid for small distances at mid-latitudes. The buffer tools on this site handle the conversion internally.
What is the difference between a statute mile and a nautical mile?
A statute (land) mile equals 1,609.344 metres. A nautical mile equals 1,852 metres — about 15% longer. The statute mile is used for road distances in the US and UK; the nautical mile is used for marine and aviation distances worldwide.