Initial & Final Bearings — Great-Circle Course Between Two Points
Free bearing calculator for maps and KML: enter two latitude/longitude points and get the initial (departure) and final (arrival) great-circle bearings in degrees 0–360. Preview both pins on OpenStreetMap — ideal for Google Earth paths, RF legs, and local coverage course planning.
Key features
- Initial bearing = true course at the start point (departure azimuth)
- Final bearing = true course on arrival at the end point
- Results in degrees 0–360 (0° north, 90° east)
- OpenStreetMap preview of From and To pins
What Initial & Final Bearings calculates
On a sphere, the heading you leave Point A is not always the heading you arrive with at Point B. This tool returns both great-circle (orthodrome) bearings so you can plan KML paths, destination projections, and RF-style arcs with correct forward azimuths.
Why local SEO and map teams use it
When building coverage radials, franchise sample pins, or Google Earth LineStrings, knowing the true course between two stores or a store and a landmark keeps Destination Calculator and Intersection inputs accurate.
True bearing vs magnetic
Results are true bearings for geometry — no magnetic declination is applied. Use 0° = north, 90° = east, 180° = south, 270° = west.
How to use this tool (best practice)
1) Enter From as lat, lon. 2) Enter To as lat, lon. 3) Calculate. 4) Copy initial bearing into Destination Calculator or Intersection. Pair with Distance Calculator to also get the span length.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Initial & Final Bearings tool free?
Yes. It is free on GBP Local Ranker’s KML Workbench at /free-tools/kml-workbench/initial-final-bearings — no login required for basic use.
Why are initial and final bearings different?
Great-circle courses change heading along the path on a sphere. The departure azimuth at A is not the same as the arrival azimuth at B on long routes.
Is this a rhumb-line (constant heading) bearing?
No. These are great-circle (orthodrome) bearings — the shortest path on a sphere — matching typical Google Earth geodesic courses.
Magnetic or true north?
True bearings for geometry. Magnetic variation / declination is not applied.
What coordinate format do I use?
Enter both points as decimal latitude, longitude (example: 17.4401, 78.3489). Swap order if you copied lon,lat from KML.
What if both points are identical?
Bearings are undefined for a zero-length segment. Move one point slightly and calculate again.
Can I get a back-bearing?
Swap From and To, or use the relationship that reversing the path adds about 180° (normalized to 0–360). Final bearing already reflects arrival course on the forward path.
How do I use the result next?
Paste the initial bearing into Destination Calculator to project a new pin, or into Intersection with another path. Use Distance Calculator for the span length.
Does the map preview show the path?
The preview shows From (teal) and To (orange) pins. The numeric bearings in the result cards are the source of truth.
Where is the full KML Workbench suite?
Open All KML Workbench Tools at /free-tools/kml-workbench for distance, destination, circle generator, and more.