GPX Distance Calculator
A free tool to measure distances between any two points along a GPX route.
The GPX Distance Calculator measures the distance between any two points along a GPX route — along the track, not in a straight line. It is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser.
What it is for
- Splitting a long route into realistic daily stages
- Measuring distance from a campsite to the next water source
- Checking whether a section is achievable in a single day
- Analysing a specific trail segment before committing to it
Step 1 — Choose your measurement system
Before uploading, select your preferred unit system from the Measurement System card:
| Option | Distance | Elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Metric | km | m |
| Imperial | mi | ft |
| Mixed | mi | m (common for UK hiking) |
Step 2 — Upload your GPX file
Drag a .gpx file onto the upload zone, or click Browse files to select one. The tool accepts any standard .gpx file up to 10 MB.
After upload, your route appears on the map as a blue line, and the elevation profile is drawn at the bottom of the map.
Step 3 — Select two points
Click on the elevation profile chart (the panel at the bottom of the map) to place your points — not on the map itself.
- First click — places Point A
- Second click — places Point B and calculates the distance immediately
- Third click — resets and starts a new measurement from a new Point A
As you hover over the chart, a preview marker moves along the route on the map so you can see exactly where you are placing a point.
Clicking very close to the start or end of the chart snaps to the exact start or end of the route, making it easy to measure the full route length.
Reading the result
The result panel shows:
- Distance in your primary unit (large), and the equivalent in the alternate unit (smaller)
- Elevation change — gain (↗) or loss (↘) between the two points, if the GPX file contains elevation data
Copying the result
- Click any individual value to copy just that number to your clipboard
- Click Copy All to copy a formatted string — e.g.
"22.4 km (13.9 mi) with ↗ 450m gain"
A checkmark briefly appears after copying to confirm.
Clearing and resetting
- Clear — removes the current A/B measurement but keeps the GPX loaded, so you can measure another segment immediately
- Clear & Upload New — removes everything and returns to the upload screen
No account required
The calculator works without a Trailkeep account. All processing happens in your browser — your GPX file is never uploaded to a server.
The tool does not save state between sessions. Closing or refreshing the page clears everything — the uploaded file, measurements, and unit preference. Save any results you need before closing.
Using it alongside the Trip Planner
The calculator complements the Trip Planner well. Use it first to work out how to split your route into daily stages, then switch to the Trip Planner to build the full day-by-day itinerary with waypoints, gear, and safety contacts.
The distance calculator is accessible from the footer and from the user menu in the dashboard.