Bearing and midpoint between two points
Bearing from A to B
51.24° NE
Distance 5,585.5 km (3,470.6 mi). Arrives on 108.37° ESE.
Midpoint, return bearing and share
Midpoint: 52.389628, -41.283236
52°23′22.7″ N, 41°16′59.6″ W
Bearing from B back to A: 288.37° WNW. Straight-line distance: 5,585,456 m = 3,015.9 nmi.
WGS 84 · geodesic · Guide, examples and sources below
What is a bearing, and how do I read it?
Place point A and point B and see the compass bearing from A to B in degrees, the distance, and the point exactly halfway between them. The bearing is measured from true north.
A bearing is a direction written as an angle, clockwise from north: 0° is north, 90° east, 180° south and 270° west. The tool also names the nearest of the 16 compass points. Place A and B, and the panel gives the bearing to follow from A to head toward B, the bearing for the way back, the distance, and the midpoint.
Worked example. From New York to London the initial bearing is 51.24° (NE) and the final bearing, the direction you are traveling as you arrive, is 108.37° (ESE). The distance is 5,585 km and the midpoint is at 52°23′23″ N, 41°17′00″ W.
Why are there two bearings, and is this north on my compass?
On a curved Earth the shortest path between two places is a great-circle-like curve, and its direction changes along the way: you leave A on the initial bearing and arrive at B on the final bearing. They are equal only on the equator or along a meridian. The back bearing is the initial bearing of the return trip, which is not simply the opposite of the first one except over short distances.
The angles are measured from true north, the direction of the geographic North Pole. A magnetic compass points to magnetic north instead. The angle between the two is the magnetic declination; it depends on where you are and changes slowly over time, and NOAA publishes a calculator for it. To turn a bearing from this tool into a compass heading, subtract the local declination (east positive) after looking it up for your place and date.
What is the midpoint, and why is it not the average of the coordinates?
The midpoint here is the point halfway along the shortest path between A and B: the tool measures the distance, then travels half of it from A along the initial bearing. Averaging the two latitudes and the two longitudes gives a different place, because meridians converge toward the poles and the shortest path bows poleward.
Worked example. New York and Tokyo: the geodesic midpoint is 69.74, -153.68. The average of the coordinates would be 38.20, 32.82, which is 8,023 km away from it.
Which angle is which compass point?
| Compass point | Center bearing | Range |
|---|---|---|
| N | 0° | 348.75° to 11.25° |
| NNE | 22.5° | 11.25° to 33.75° |
| NE | 45° | 33.75° to 56.25° |
| ENE | 67.5° | 56.25° to 78.75° |
| E | 90° | 78.75° to 101.25° |
| ESE | 112.5° | 101.25° to 123.75° |
| SE | 135° | 123.75° to 146.25° |
| SSE | 157.5° | 146.25° to 168.75° |
| S | 180° | 168.75° to 191.25° |
| SSW | 202.5° | 191.25° to 213.75° |
| SW | 225° | 213.75° to 236.25° |
| WSW | 247.5° | 236.25° to 258.75° |
| W | 270° | 258.75° to 281.25° |
| WNW | 292.5° | 281.25° to 303.75° |
| NW | 315° | 303.75° to 326.25° |
| NNW | 337.5° | 326.25° to 348.75° |
Questions about bearings and midpoints
How do I find the bearing between two coordinates?
Type or click point A and point B. The panel shows the initial bearing from A to B in degrees from true north, with the compass point, plus the final bearing and the back bearing.
What is the difference between initial and final bearing?
The initial bearing is the direction you set off from A; the final bearing is the direction you are heading when you arrive at B. On a long route they differ because the shortest path curves on the globe.
Is the bearing relative to magnetic north?
No. It is relative to true (geographic) north. A compass reads magnetic north, and the difference is the magnetic declination, which varies by place and year. NOAA’s declination calculator gives it.
How is the midpoint calculated?
It is the point halfway along the shortest path (the geodesic) between A and B on the WGS 84 ellipsoid. It is not the average of the latitudes and longitudes, which only works for very short distances.
Why is the back bearing not exactly opposite?
Because the shortest path curves. Going from B back to A you leave on the final bearing reversed, which is 180° away from the final bearing, not from the initial one. For short distances the difference is tiny.
Can I get the bearing in radians or mils?
The tool shows degrees, the common unit for navigation and mapping, along with the compass point. Multiply by π/180 for radians.
Sources and limits
- C. F. F. Karney, “Algorithms for geodesics”, J. Geodesy 87 (2013) 43–55
The direct and inverse geodesic algorithms used for distance, bearing, midpoint, circle and polygon area.
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- World Geodetic System (WGS 84)
Semi-major axis 6 378 137 m, flattening 1/298.257223563, semi-minor axis 6 356 752.314245 m.
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- NOAA NCEI, Magnetic Declination
Declination is the angle between magnetic north and true north; it varies by place and changes slowly with time.
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- OpenFreeMap
No registration, no API keys, no cookies; commercial use allowed; no limits on map views or requests; attribution required.
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- OpenFreeMap terms of service (updated 9 September 2026)
A free service provided as is, with no warranties; automated collection of data without permission is not allowed.
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- OpenStreetMap copyright and license
Map data is under the Open Database License; credit to OpenStreetMap is required.
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These are calculation aids, not survey instruments. They measure on a mathematical model of the Earth (WGS 84); for a legal boundary, engineering or navigation, use a licensed surveyor or the official chart. Nothing you type or load leaves your browser.
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