Measure Distances and Areas in Google Earth -

Employ Google Earth when planning your next RV outing and take the guesswork out of length restrictions.

Measure distances and areas in Google Earth

You can measure distances between locations and along paths. You can also measure the size of polygons that you draw in Google Earth.

Measurements of distances may not be 100% accurate, especially in areas with 3D terrain and buildings. For best results, measure using a top-down view.

Tips:

Measurements don’t account for changes in elevation.
These instructions only apply to the new Google Earth. Learn how to measure distances in Google Earth Pro below.

Computer AndroidiPhone & iPad

On your computer, open Google Earth.
Search for a place, or select a location on the globe.
On the left, click Measure . Google Earth will switch to a top-down view.
Click the map to set measurement points.
To remove a point, on the right, click Undo 📷.
To complete your line measurement, double-click on your last point, or click Done 📷.

On the right, you’ll find the length.

Tips:

To measure the area of a location, connect to your first point to close the shape. You’ll find the area on the right.
To find these instructions and get more assistance, click Help 📷.

Edit your measurement

When you finish adding points, to edit your line segments or shape, click and drag the points.
To measure again, on the right, click Start New .
To delete your measurement and go back to the map, on the right, click Close 📷.

Change measurement units

After measuring a distance:

At the top right, you can find the measured distance.
Next to a unit of distance, click the dropdown 📷.
Choose a unit of measurement.

To adjust overall settings:

On the left, click Tools 📷Settings 📷.
In the “Format and Units” section, adjust to the desired units.

Measure the elevation of a point

On the map, place your cursor to the point that you want to measure the elevation.
At the bottom right, you can find the elevation at the rightmost part.

Tip: You can’t measure the elevation difference between two points.

Learn how to measure distances in Google Earth Pro.

Measure distance & elevation

Use lines and shapes to check distances and estimate sizes of different features on Earth.

What you can measure in Google Earth Pro:

Polygon: The distance or area of a shape on the ground.
Circle: The circumference of a circle on the ground.
3D path: The distance between a building and places on the ground.
3D polygon: The height, width, and area of 3D buildings.

Take and save a measurement

Open Google Earth Pro.
Go to a spot on the globe.
In the menu bar, click Tools 📷 Ruler. A new “Ruler” window with options appears.
In the bottom left, select Mouse Navigation.
Click the tab for what you want to measure.
On the map, hover over a spot and click a starting point for your measurement.
Then, hover over another spot and click an end point.
The measurement will show up in the “Ruler” window. To save your measurement, click Save.
In the “Name” field, type a name for your measurement.
In the bottom right, click OK. Google Earth Pro will add your measurement under “Places” in the left-hand panel.

Add more details when you save a measurement

In the “New Path” or “Edit Path” window, change fields like altitude, color, or style.

Open saved measurements

Open Google Earth Pro.
On the left, under “Places,” you will find a list of saved measurements. Check the measurement you want to open.
Double click the name of the measurement. Earth will show your measurement on the map.
To find measurement details, hover over the shape and right-click.Then, click Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac). The “Edit Path” window will open.

Find a path’s elevation profile

Explore the slope, elevation, and distance along a path.

Open Google Earth Pro.
Draw a path or open an existing path.
Click Edit 📷 Show Elevation Profile.
An elevation profile will appear in the the lower half of the 3D Viewer. If your elevation measurement reads “0,” make sure the terrain layer is turned on.

The Y-axis of the chart displays the elevation, and the X-axis of the chart displays the distance.
To find the elevation and distance at different points along a path, mouse over the path.
To find data for a portion of the path, left-click and hold. Then, move the cursor along the path you want to find.
To change measurement systems on a Windows computer, select Tools 📷 Options. Then, under “Units of measurement,” choose feet or meters.
To change measurement systems on a Mac, select Google Earth 📷 Preferences. Then, under “Units of measurement,” choose feet or meters.