Compass Bearing Calculator
Find the compass bearing from one place to another, the bearing to come back on and a constant heading to steer, or work out where you’ll end up from a bearing and distance.
About this tool
Bearings are measured clockwise from true north: 0° is north, 90° east, 180° south and 270° west. On the shortest route between two places (a great circle) the direction slowly changes as you travel, so the tool gives the bearing to set off on and the one you’ll be heading on when you arrive. The rhumb line is the alternative a sailor or pilot can hold without adjusting: one constant heading all the way, at the cost of a slightly longer trip over long distances. The back bearing is the opposite direction, for retracing your steps.
A hand compass points to magnetic north, not true north. In Great Britain the difference (magnetic variation) is currently small, within about 2° either way, so you can usually use these bearings directly; OS maps show the current figure in the margin. For long journeys, check the variation for your area. Positions can be towns, coordinates or UK postcodes, and everything is calculated in your browser on the WGS84 ellipsoid.