What is the distance formula?

The distance between two points is √((x₂ − x₁)² + (y₂ − y₁)²). It comes from the Pythagorean theorem applied to the horizontal and vertical gaps between the points.

What is the distance between (0,0) and (3,4)?

It is 5. The horizontal gap is 3 and the vertical gap is 4, so the distance is √(3² + 4²) = √(9 + 16) = √25 = 5 — the classic 3-4-5 right triangle.

Does this work for negative coordinates?

Yes. The differences are squared before the square root, so negative coordinates and any order of points give the same correct positive distance.

Does the order of the two points matter?

No. Swapping the points only changes the sign of each difference, and squaring removes the sign, so you get the same distance either way.

Is this straight-line distance or path distance?

It is the straight-line (Euclidean) distance — the shortest path between the two points. It does not account for roads, obstacles or curvature of the Earth, so it is not a driving distance.

Can I use it for latitude and longitude?

Only as a rough approximation over very small areas. For geographic distance use the haversine or great-circle formula instead, because latitude and longitude lie on a sphere, not a flat plane.

Is anything uploaded?

No — the distance is computed locally in your browser and no data leaves your device.

Distance Between Two Points Calculator

Distance between two points

Find the straight-line (Euclidean) distance between two points on a coordinate plane. It is a staple of geometry homework, graphics and game programming, surveying and any task that needs the shortest gap between two (x, y) locations.

How it works

The distance formula is the Pythagorean theorem applied to the horizontal and vertical gaps between the points:

distance = √((x₂ − x₁)² + (y₂ − y₁)²)

The horizontal difference (Δx) and vertical difference (Δy) form the two legs of a right triangle, and the distance is the hypotenuse. Because each difference is squared, the order of the points and any negative coordinates never change the result — the distance is always a positive number.

Example

The distance between (0, 0) and (3, 4):

Δx = 3 − 0 = 3, Δy = 4 − 0 = 4 distance = √(3² + 4²) = √(9 + 16) = √25 = 5

Point 1	Point 2	Distance
(0, 0)	(3, 4)	5
(1, 1)	(4, 5)	5
(−2, −3)	(1, 1)	5

Everything is computed in your browser — nothing is uploaded.