Geocaching Coordinate Projection
Project a new geographic coordinate from a starting point given a bearing and distance ? ideal for geocaching, orienteering and field navigation.
Results
What is it?
Coordinate projection calculates where you end up if you travel a given distance in a specific compass direction from a known starting point. This planar approximation is accurate to within metres for distances under 50 km and is widely used in geocaching puzzle caches and orienteering.
How to use
Enter your starting latitude and longitude in decimal degrees. Enter the bearing in degrees (0 = North, clockwise) and the distance in kilometres. The calculator outputs the projected destination coordinates ready to enter into your GPS device or geocaching app.
Example scenario
Start at London (51.5074, -0.1278), travel 5 km due East (90 degrees): you arrive at approximately (51.5074, -0.0549). Travel 5 km North-East (45 degrees): you arrive at approximately (51.5393, -0.0596).
Pro tip
For geocaching, bearing is usually given in true north (not magnetic). Always add or subtract local magnetic declination if using a compass. For distances under 1 km, this planar method is accurate to within a few metres. For longer distances or higher accuracy, use the Vincenty formula which accounts for Earth's elliptical shape.