Compass Bearing Calculator
Which Way to Point, From Two Coordinates
Distance tells you how far away a destination is; bearing tells you which direction to face to head straight there. The two aren't derived the same way — bearing depends on the initial direction of travel along the great circle route, which actually curves relative to a fixed compass heading over long distances. This calculator computes the initial bearing, the compass direction you'd start out on at the origin point.
The Formula
The result θ is normalized to a 0–360° compass bearing, where 0° is due North and the angle increases clockwise.
Worked Example
The initial bearing from New York City (40.7128° N, 74.0060° W) toward London (51.5074° N, 0.1278° W):
Reading the 16-Point Compass Rose
| Bearing Range | Direction |
|---|---|
| 348.75° – 11.25° | N |
| 33.75° – 56.25° | NE |
| 78.75° – 101.25° | E |
| 123.75° – 146.25° | SE |
| 168.75° – 191.25° | S |
| 213.75° – 236.25° | SW |
| 258.75° – 281.25° | W |
| 303.75° – 326.25° | NW |
This calculator resolves bearing to all 16 standard compass points (including intermediate points like NNE and ESE), not just these 8 cardinal/ordinal directions.
Where This Calculation Matters
- Marine and aviation navigation — initial bearing is a foundational figure for plotting a great-circle course before adjusting for wind or current drift.
- Orienteering and land navigation — converting known coordinates into a compass heading to walk or paddle toward a target.
- Antenna and signal alignment — pointing a directional antenna or solar reflector at a known target location requires the exact bearing between two points.
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the starting point's latitude and longitude in decimal degrees.
- Enter the destination point's latitude and longitude in decimal degrees.
- Select Calculate to get the initial bearing in degrees and its 16-point compass direction.
Related Calculations
Pair this with the Great Circle Distance Calculator for the full route, or the Distance Between Coordinates Calculator for a straightforward point-to-point distance.