Waypoints along a route line
Points along the geodesic (or rhumb line) from A to B at N equal intervals, a fixed spacing, or given fractions, with distance and course at each, as a table, a route, and GeoJSON.
Planning and education aid. Not for primary navigation. Full disclaimer
There are 11 points along the 5,554.909 km line.
| Point | Latitude | Longitude | Distance from the start | Course here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40.6413000 deg | -73.7781000 deg | 0.000 km | 51.382 deg |
| 2 | 43.6405668 deg | -68.3980904 deg | 555.491 km | 54.994 deg |
| 3 | 46.3595958 deg | -62.4828931 deg | 1,110.982 km | 59.180 deg |
| 4 | 48.7409796 deg | -55.9912413 deg | 1,666.473 km | 63.973 deg |
| 5 | 50.7217094 deg | -48.9136096 deg | 2,221.964 km | 69.377 deg |
| 6 | 52.2375218 deg | -41.2903387 deg | 2,777.454 km | 75.346 deg |
| 7 | 53.2300588 deg | -33.2262221 deg | 3,332.945 km | 81.767 deg |
| 8 | 53.6559284 deg | -24.8920619 deg | 3,888.436 km | 88.466 deg |
| 9 | 53.4950914 deg | -16.5056534 deg | 4,443.927 km | 95.218 deg |
| 10 | 52.7552218 deg | -8.2944801 deg | 4,999.418 km | 101.791 deg |
| 11 | 51.4700000 deg | -0.4543000 deg | 5,554.909 km | 107.983 deg |
- Line length
- GPX route
- GeoJSON
Provenance
- Computed by
- navigation.geodesic.waypoints 1.0.1, core 0.1.0
- Model
- Karney (2013) geodesic on WGS 84
- Accuracy
- Points on the geodesic to nanometers
- Notes
- None
- Cites
- Karney, C. F. F., Journal of Geodesy, Algorithms for geodesics
Something look off?
How we got thisFormula, worked example, sources, and proof
Model: Karney (2013) geodesic on WGS 84
Accuracy: Points on the geodesic to nanometers
When to use this: Use this to lay points along a route: evenly spaced marks for a flight log, a track to draw on a map, a line to sample terrain or weather along, or a GPX or GeoJSON file to load somewhere else. The points sit on the geodesic, which is the line the route actually follows.
Limitations: The points are on the shortest path, so drawn on a Mercator chart they curve; a line that holds one heading is the rhumb tool instead. Spacing is even in distance along the line, not in latitude or longitude, and not in time unless the speed is constant. Between two nearly antipodal points the shortest path is poorly determined, so a small change in either end can swing the whole line to the other side of the globe.
Worked example: JFK to London Heathrow in 10 equal intervals. Source: navigation geodesic scenario: 11 points, each 555,490.879 m apart along the geodesic.
You enter
- Equal intervals
- 10
- Start latitude
- 40.6413 deg
- End latitude
- 51.47 deg
- Start longitude
- -73.7781 deg
- End longitude
- -0.4543 deg
You get
- Points
- 11
- Line length
- 5,554.909 km
- GPX route
- <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <gpx version="1.1" creator="geoprims" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1"> <rte> <rtept lat="40.6413" lon="-73.7781"><name>WP1</name></rtept> <rtept lat="43.64056679524166" lon="-68.39809036393899"><name>WP2</name></rtept> <rtept lat="46.3595958442832" lon="-62.48289308098586"><name>WP3</name></rtept> <rtept lat="48.7409796110797" lon="-55.99124127026883"><name>WP4</name></rtept> <rtept lat="50.72170942137994" lon="-48.91360956372871"><name>WP5</name></rtept> <rtept lat="52.23752180221283" lon="-41.290338700015006"><name>WP6</name></rtept> <rtept lat="53.23005879760413" lon="-33.22622207839571"><name>WP7</name></rtept> <rtept lat="53.65592838760919" lon="-24.89206188943215"><name>WP8</name></rtept> <rtept lat="53.49509142647097" lon="-16.5056534335194"><name>WP9</name></rtept> <rtept lat="52.755221792887866" lon="-8.29448013061733"><name>WP10</name></rtept> <rtept lat="51.470000000000006" lon="-0.4543000000000035"><name>WP11</name></rtept> </rte> </gpx>
- GeoJSON
- {"type":"Feature","properties":{},"geometry":{"type":"LineString","coordinates":[[-73.7781,40.6413],[-68.39809036393899,43.64056679524166],[-62.48289308098586,46.3595958442832],[-55.99124127026883,48.7409796110797],[-48.91360956372871,50.72170942137994],[-41.290338700015006,52.23752180221283],[-33.22622207839571,53.23005879760413],[-24.89206188943215,53.65592838760919],[-16.5056534335194,53.49509142647097],[-8.29448013061733,52.755221792887866],[-0.4543000000000035,51.470000000000006]]}}
Review: Not yet independently reviewed by a geodesist.
Last verified: 2026-09-18, when a maintainer last confirmed this tool's sources at the issuer. See the sources ledger.
Status: version 1.0.1, core 0.1.0. See this tool in the verification report.
Changes
- 2026-09-23, fixed: Short distances lost their meaning: a 0.859 m geodesic showed as 0.001 km. Distances in the navigation tools (version 1.0.1) still show to the meter in kilometers, but a short one now keeps three significant digits, down to the millimeter, so it shows as 0.000859 km. Differences such as the rhumb line's extra distance keep fixed decimals. Values are unchanged. Changelog
Checked against: 22 golden test vectors (download the test vectors, each with its source and tolerance). See how results are checked and every source.
Sources
- Algorithms for geodesics, Karney, C. F. F., Journal of Geodesy, Vol. 87, No. 1. pp. 43-55.
Terms
- GPX: GPS Exchange Format
- An XML file format for waypoints, routes, and tracks that most GPS devices and mapping apps read. Source: GPX: the GPS Exchange Format
GPX — GPS Exchange Format
An XML file format for waypoints, routes, and tracks that most GPS devices and mapping apps read.
Source: GPX: the GPS Exchange Format