In this article, you’ll learn how to measure distance on Google Maps as well as in the associated Google My Maps library. You’ll also learn how to do this on the mobile version of Google Maps.
Why Measure Distances on Google Maps?
Whenever you search for a location in Google Maps, you’ll see a map view with that location centered in the middle of the map. You can measure the distance between any two points on this map. Repeating this step, you can connect measured segments to determine the distance of a very long road, trail, and more. But why might you want to do this? There are actually lots of reasons.
Planning a hiking trip and want to know how long the trail will be. Trying to decide between several driving routes and wanting to find the shortest one. Measuring the distance of different flights from airport to airport. Plotting out the circumference of a property so you can calculate the square footage (area).
How to Measure Distance on Google Maps
Measuring distances on Google Maps is as simple as right-clicking the mouse. This will completely remove the line from your Google Maps view.
How to Measure Distance on Google My Maps
Another area of Google Maps is your My Maps library where you can create and save maps with waypoints. You can measure distances on these maps as well.
As you can see the process is very similar to Google Maps but the appearance and behavior is just slightly different.
Note: There is a Google Chrome web browser extension called Distance Measure that enhances this feature for running or biking and lets you download a KML file of your map route.
How to Measure Distance on Google Maps Mobile
Measuring distance using the Google Maps app (on either Android phones or Apple iPhone) is even easier than on the web-based version. When you’re done measuring distance, just tap the back arrow to return to normal mode on the map again.
Measuring Distance on Google Maps Is Easy
No matter what kind of activity you’re doing on your next trip or adventure, there will likely be a location where you need to measure distance.
Safe time and use Google Maps to help you see how far point A is from point B. This will help you create an accurate itinerary with more information on hand.
Have you ever used the feature to measure distance in Google Maps for anything interesting? Share your experiences in the comments section below!
