Planning a walk, run, or cycle? Our Measure Distance Tool lets you click along any route on a map and instantly see the total distance. Perfect for planning exercise routes, measuring footpaths, or calculating journey lengths.

Measure a Route →

How to Measure a Route

Measuring distance is as simple as clicking on a map. Each click adds a point to your route, and the distance updates in real-time.

  1. Navigate to your starting point — Search for a location or zoom on the map
  2. Click to add points — Click along the route you want to measure
  3. Watch the distance update — The total is calculated as you go
  4. Drag to adjust — Move points to fine-tune your route

Need to follow a winding path? Simply add more points along curves. For straight-line segments, just click at the start and end.

Distance Units

See your route distance in the units that work for you:

  • Miles — Standard UK unit for roads and longer distances
  • Kilometres — Metric alternative, used in most of Europe
  • Metres — Useful for shorter routes and athletics tracks
  • Feet — Occasionally useful for very short measurements

Switch between units at any time — the tool converts instantly.

Travel Time Estimates

Our tool calculates estimated travel times based on typical speeds:

  • Walking: 3 mph (20 minutes per mile)
  • Running: 6 mph (10 minutes per mile)
  • Cycling: 12 mph (5 minutes per mile)

These are rough estimates — your actual time will depend on terrain, fitness level, and conditions. Hills, traffic lights, and rest stops all add to the real journey time.

Use Cases

Planning Running Routes

Training for a 5K, 10K, or marathon? Measure routes from your front door to hit exact distances. No more guessing whether your usual loop is actually 5 miles or 4.7.

Walking & Hiking

Plan walks and estimate how long they'll take. Particularly useful for countryside walks where paths wind around fields and through woods — the actual distance is often much further than it looks.

Cycling Routes

Plan cycle routes and export them to your GPS device. Our GPX export works with Garmin, Wahoo, and most cycling computers.

School Run Planning

Check if a school is within "walking distance" — often defined as 2 miles for primary schools and 3 miles for secondary schools in terms of free transport eligibility.

Dog Walking Routes

Plan walks of a specific length for your dog. Different breeds need different amounts of exercise — measure routes to ensure you're hitting the right distance.

Delivery & Service Routes

Estimate journey lengths for planning deliveries or service calls. While this measures straight-line route distance (not road distance), it's useful for quick estimates.

GPX Export

Export your measured route as a GPX file to use with GPS devices and apps. GPX (GPS Exchange Format) is the standard format supported by:

  • Garmin watches and cycling computers
  • Wahoo devices
  • Strava
  • Komoot
  • Google Earth
  • Most fitness apps

Simply click "Export GPX" after measuring your route, and import the downloaded file into your device or app.

KML Export

For Google Earth or Google Maps, export as KML. This format preserves your route for viewing in Google's mapping tools, perfect for:

  • Sharing routes via Google Maps
  • Creating layered maps in Google Earth
  • Adding routes to presentations
  • Archiving routes for future reference

Tips for Accurate Measurements

Zoom In for Precision

The closer you zoom, the more accurately you can follow paths, pavements, and trails. For measuring footpaths, zoom in until you can see the path clearly.

Follow the Actual Route

Don't cut corners unless you'll actually walk that way. Follow roads, paths, and pavements as you'd actually travel them. Cutting across fields on the map only works if you can do it in real life!

Add Points on Curves

For winding paths, add points frequently around curves. Straight-line measurements between points miss the extra distance of bends.

Account for Hills

Our tool measures horizontal distance only — it doesn't account for hills. Steep terrain adds both distance and time. As a rough guide, add 10% to journey time for moderately hilly routes.

Comparing Routes

Trying to find the shortest route? Measure multiple options by:

  1. Measure the first route and note the distance
  2. Clear the route and measure an alternative
  3. Compare the distances to find the shortest option

Remember that the shortest route isn't always the best — a slightly longer route on quiet roads might be preferable to a shorter route on busy main roads.

Route Distance vs Straight-Line Distance

Don't confuse route distance with straight-line ("as the crow flies") distance. Our measure distance tool calculates the actual path you click, not the direct line between start and end.

For straight-line distance between two points, use our Distance Between tool instead.

Privacy

Your routes stay completely private. All measurements happen in your browser — we don't see, store, or track any routes you measure. When you close the page, everything is gone.

Try It Now

Ready to plan your next walk, run, or cycle? Our distance measuring tool is free, requires no sign-up, and works on phones, tablets, and computers.

Measure a Route →

Found a bug or have a feature request? Let us know — we're always improving based on user feedback.