Rhumb Line Distance Calculator

Rhumb Line Distance Calculator

A rhumb line (also called a loxodrome) crosses every meridian at the same constant angle - making it much easier to navigate by holding a single fixed compass heading, unlike a great-circle route which requires continuously changing direction.

Example

Rhumb line distance from New York City to London:

Rhumb Line Distance ≈ 5,794 km

Rhumb Line vs. Great Circle

The great-circle route between two points is always the absolute shortest possible path over Earth's surface, but it requires the navigator to continuously adjust compass heading throughout the journey. A rhumb line is always equal to or slightly longer than the great-circle distance between the same two points, but the tradeoff - holding one constant, unchanging compass bearing the whole way - made it the historically preferred navigation method for sailing ships long before computer-assisted great-circle route planning became standard practice.

Why the Difference Grows With Distance

For short distances, rhumb line and great-circle distance are nearly identical - the divergence between the two grows more noticeable over longer transoceanic distances, particularly for routes that would otherwise pass close to the poles along the great-circle path.