Halfway Point Finder: Meet in the Middle Between Two Locations

Enter two or more places and find the exact halfway point between them on a map, by straight line or by driving time. The tool also suggests a public place to meet nearby, with directions in Google Maps and a WhatsApp button to share it. It is free and works on your phone. Open fullscreen version →

Find the halfway point between two locations

Meeting someone who lives in another town always raises the same question: where is the fair place to meet? This tool answers it, whether you need the halfway point between two destinations on a road trip or simply between two friends' homes. You type in two addresses, cities or postcodes (or up to six, for a group), and the tool puts a star on the map at the exact halfway point. It shows how far each person has to travel, so everyone can see that the meeting point is fair.

A point on a map is not a place to meet, though. The halfway point might be a field, a motorway or a lake. So the tool also looks for real public places close to the midpoint: cafés, restaurants, parks, libraries, shopping centres, train stations and service stations. The closest one is marked as the suggested meeting place. Click it to see the address, the opening hours when they are known, and the distance from each person.

When you have picked a place, you can send it straight to your friends with the WhatsApp button, or open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps from your own location or from each person's starting point. My advice: for a trip of more than an hour, use the driving time mode. A straight-line midpoint is mathematically fair, but a meeting point that is 45 minutes away for both of you is fairer in real life.

How the halfway point calculator works

Here is everything the tool does, in the order you use it.

Set the starting points. Each person gets a coloured letter (A, B, C and so on). Type a city, full address, postcode or landmark and press Enter or the search button. If the search finds several matches, pick the right one from the list. You can also press 📍 to calculate the halfway point from your current location, or press ⌖ and click anywhere on the map. Markers can be dragged to fine-tune a position. Add up to six people.
Choose how "halfway" is measured. Straight line finds the geographic midpoint: the point on the Earth's surface that is the same distance from everyone, as the crow flies. Driving distance and Driving time follow the real road route between two people and stop where half the kilometres, or half the travel time, has been used up. This makes the tool a halfway point driving calculator for two people.
See the halfway point. A black and yellow star marks the midpoint. Coloured dashed lines (or the blue road route in driving mode) connect it to each starting point. The panel shows the coordinates, the nearest address and each person's distance, plus the travel time in driving mode.
Get a suggested place to meet. The tool searches OpenStreetMap for public places near the star. It starts within 2 km and widens the search to 8, 25 and 80 km until it finds some. The closest place is marked "Meet here" and up to nine more are listed. Use the chips to choose which kinds of places you want: cafés, restaurants, fast food, pubs, libraries, parks, shopping centres, train stations or service stations.
Open the information popup. Click the star or any place marker. The popup shows the name, type, address, opening hours, phone, website and wheelchair access when OpenStreetMap has them, the coordinates in decimal and degrees-minutes-seconds, and the distance from the midpoint and from each person.
Get directions in Google Maps. The "Get directions" button opens Google Maps with the meeting point as the destination, so it routes you from wherever you are. The small "from A", "from B" links open directions from each person's starting point, which is handy when you plan the trip for someone else.
Share it on WhatsApp. The WhatsApp button opens WhatsApp (on your phone or WhatsApp Web) with a ready-made message: the meeting place, its address, a map link and a link back to this result. Pick a chat and send.
Share or bookmark the result. The page address updates with every search, and "Copy link" copies it. Anyone who opens the link sees the same people and the same halfway point, calculated again for them. The city links further down this page work the same way.

The addresses you type are looked up through our server with OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service. Nothing is saved, and you do not need an account.

How to find the halfway point, step by step

Here is a real example: a friend in London and a friend in Manchester want to meet for lunch.

Halfway Point Finder with two empty location rows, A and B, next to a world map

Step 1: Open the tool

The map opens with two empty rows, A and B. You can type a place, use your current location with 📍, or click ⌖ and pick a point on the map.

Search results list for Manchester showing several matching places to choose from

Step 2: Search for each place

Type a city or address and press Enter. When a name matches several places, pick the right one from the list. Here "Manchester" has matches in England and in the USA.

Step 3: Find the halfway point

Click "Find halfway point". The star marks the exact midpoint, the same distance from London and from Manchester (129 km each in this example). The popup shows the coordinates, the nearest address and buttons for directions, WhatsApp and sharing.

Step 4: Pick a place to meet

The closest public place is marked "Meet here" and shown at the top of the list. Click it to see its address, opening hours and distance from each person, then share it on WhatsApp or open directions.

Road route between London and Manchester with the halfway point placed at half the driving time

Step 5: Try the driving time mode

Choose "Driving time" and search again. The tool follows the real road route and puts the star where both drivers need the same time. Each person's distance and driving time is shown in the panel.

Three people in different cities with dashed lines to their shared geographic midpoint

Step 6: Meet as a group

Click "+ Add person" to add up to six starting points. The star moves to the geographic midpoint of the whole group, and the panel lists how far each person travels.

Halfway between two cities: popular routes on the map

Click any pair to open the tool with both cities already filled in. The straight-line midpoint is calculated right away, together with suggested places to meet. The number shows the straight-line distance between the two city centres, so the halfway distance for each person is half of it.

Canada

Common routes between Canadian cities, from the Quebec City–Windsor corridor to the Prairies and the Maritimes.

Want a pair that is not listed? Type any two places into the tool above. It works for any two points on Earth.

The logic behind the calculations

Finding the halfway point between locations sounds simple, but the Earth is round and roads are not straight. Here is exactly how the tool calculates each result.

1. Why you cannot just average the coordinates

The obvious idea is to add up the latitudes and longitudes and divide by two. On a small scale that is nearly right. Over longer distances it fails, because lines of longitude get closer together as you move away from the equator. Here is New York and Los Angeles:

New York     40.7128, −74.0060
Los Angeles  34.0522, −118.2437

Simple average     37.3825, −96.1249   (southern Kansas)
  → New York 1,940 km, Los Angeles 2,026 km   unfair by 86 km

True midpoint      39.5103, −97.1601   (north-central Kansas)
  → New York 1,968 km, Los Angeles 1,968 km   equal

Gap between the two answers: 253 km

The simple average is 253 km away from the true midpoint, and one person would drive 86 km more than the other. Near the date line it gets worse: averaging 179° and −179° gives 0°, which is on the opposite side of the planet.

2. The geographic midpoint: averaging in 3D

The tool treats each place as an arrow from the centre of the Earth to the surface. It turns every latitude and longitude into x, y and z coordinates, takes the average of those arrows, and turns the result back into latitude and longitude.

For each place i (φ = latitude, λ = longitude, in radians):
  xi = cos φi · cos λi
  yi = cos φi · sin λi
  zi = sin φi

Average:  X = Σ xi / n    Y = Σ yi / n    Z = Σ zi / n

Midpoint:
  λ = atan2(Y, X)
  φ = atan2(Z, √(X² + Y²))

For two places, this gives exactly the midpoint of the great circle between them (the shortest path over the Earth's surface), so both people are the same distance away. For three or more people it gives the centre of gravity of the group. That point keeps the total of the squared distances small, which means nobody ends up far from the middle. If the arrows cancel each other out, as with two points on exactly opposite sides of the Earth, there is no single midpoint and the tool tells you so.

3. How far each person travels: the haversine formula

The straight-line distance from each starting point to the midpoint is measured along the Earth's surface with the haversine formula, using the mean Earth radius.

h = sin²(Δφ / 2) + cos φ1 · cos φ2 · sin²(Δλ / 2)
d = 2R · asin(√h)

R = 6 371 008.8 m

The Earth is not a perfect sphere, so this distance can differ from a survey-grade measurement by up to about 0.5 percent. For choosing a place to meet, that makes no practical difference.

4. Halfway by driving distance or driving time

In the driving modes, the tool asks the OSRM routing engine for the fastest road route between two people. The route comes back as a chain of short segments, each with its own length and travel time. The tool adds up the segments from the start until it reaches half the total, then finds the exact spot inside that last segment.

Route segments:  s1, s2, …, sn   (length di, time ti)
Target:  T = ½ · Σ ti        (driving time mode)
         T = ½ · Σ di        (driving distance mode)

Find k where  t1 + … + t(k−1) < T ≤ t1 + … + tk
f = (T − (t1 + … + t(k−1))) / tk

Halfway point = start of sk + f · (end of sk − start of sk)

The two driving modes often give different points. Motorways are fast and town centres are slow, so half the driving time is usually closer to the person who lives in the bigger city. That is exactly why the time mode feels fairer: both people spend the same time in the car.

5. Finding a public place to meet

Once the midpoint is known, the tool searches OpenStreetMap for named public places of the kinds you selected. It uses the Photon search service to find the places nearest to the midpoint, first within 2 km, then 8, 25 and 80 km, stopping as soon as it has at least three results. Every place found is sorted by its straight-line distance from the midpoint, and the closest one becomes the suggestion. If Photon is not available, the tool asks the Overpass API instead. When you open a place, the opening hours, phone number and website are loaded from OpenStreetMap through Nominatim.

The suggestion is the closest place. It is not a rating or a review, so check the popup (and the opening hours) before you pick it. In the countryside the closest place may be a service station, which is often the most practical meeting point for a handover or a coffee on a long drive.

6. A worked example: London and Manchester

Here are the real numbers for the first city pair in the list below, using the straight-line mode.

London      51.5074, −0.1278
Manchester  53.4808, −2.2426

Midpoint    52.4988, −1.1615
            52°29′55.7″ N, 1°09′41.4″ W
            (Leicestershire, about 5 km north-east of Lutterworth)

London → midpoint       131.0 km
Manchester → midpoint   131.0 km
London → Manchester     262.0 km

Both friends travel exactly 131.0 km, and 131.0 + 131.0 = 262.0 km, the full distance between the two cities. The midpoint lies on the straight line between them, as it should.

10 real-world use cases

People use a halfway point finder for many everyday reasons. These are the most common.

Friends in different cities. Two friends who moved to different cities want to meet for lunch or a day out. The tool finds a town in the middle and suggests a café or restaurant there, so neither friend does all the driving.
Child handovers between separated parents. Parents who live apart often agree to meet halfway for weekend handovers. A busy, public place like a service station or a shopping centre near the midpoint is a safe and neutral choice, and the driving time mode keeps it fair.
Buying and selling second-hand items. When you buy something from an online marketplace and the seller lives an hour away, meeting in the middle saves you both time. A public place with people around, such as a supermarket car park or station, is also the safer choice.
Long-distance dating. Couples who live in different cities can take turns travelling, or meet in the middle for a weekend. The group of cafés, restaurants and parks around the midpoint gives you ideas for the date itself.
Business meetings. A salesperson and a client in two different towns can meet at a café or hotel in between. The tool shows each person's driving time, which helps when you plan a meeting around other appointments.
Family get-togethers. When relatives live in three or four different towns, add everyone as a person. The group midpoint shows the fairest area, and the restaurant list helps you choose where to book a table.
Breaking up a long drive. On a long road trip, use the driving time mode to find the point where half the driving is done. The service stations and restaurants near that point are natural places to stop, eat or stay the night.
Pet adoption and animal transport. Rescue groups, breeders and new owners often meet halfway to hand over an animal. A park or a quiet service station near the midpoint gives everyone a short, fair drive.
Sports clubs and neutral venues. Teams, clubs and hobby groups from two towns can use the midpoint to find a neutral pitch, hall or venue that is fair for both sides to reach.
Study groups and team meetups. Students, remote teams or volunteers spread across a region can find the central town for an in-person meeting, then pick a library or café from the list as the venue.

Frequently asked questions

Ten questions people often ask about finding a halfway point, with direct answers.

1. How does the Halfway Point Finder work?

You enter two or more starting points. The tool turns each one into coordinates, calculates the point in the middle (by straight line or along the real road route), marks it with a star, and then searches for public places near that star. Everything appears on the map with popups, directions and sharing buttons.

2. What is the difference between the straight-line and the driving midpoint?

The straight-line midpoint is the point that is the same distance from everyone as the crow flies. The driving midpoints follow the road. "Driving distance" stops at half the road kilometres, and "Driving time" stops where both drivers need the same time. Because roads curve and motorways are faster than town streets, these points can be many kilometres apart.

3. Which mode should I use?

For people in the same city or nearby towns, the straight line is fine. For trips longer than about an hour, I recommend "Driving time", because it gives both people the same time behind the wheel, which is what most people mean by "fair".

4. Can I find the midpoint for three or more people?

Yes. Click "+ Add person" to add up to six starting points. The tool then finds the geographic midpoint of the whole group, the centre of gravity of all the points, and shows how far each person travels. The driving modes are for two people only.

5. How is the suggested meeting place chosen?

The tool searches OpenStreetMap for named public places of the types you selected, starting close to the midpoint and widening the search until it finds some. The closest one becomes the suggestion. It is not a rating, so check the popup and the opening hours before you choose it.

6. Why is my halfway point in the sea or in the middle of nowhere?

The midpoint is pure geometry, so it can land in a lake, a forest or the sea (London and Paris meet in the English Channel). That is why the tool suggests the nearest real place, and why the driving modes exist: they always place the point on a road.

7. How do I share the meeting point on WhatsApp?

Click the green WhatsApp button in the results panel or in any popup. WhatsApp opens with a ready-made message that includes the place name, address and a Google Maps link. Choose a chat or group and press send.

8. How do I get directions to the meeting place in Google Maps?

Click "Get directions" to open Google Maps with the meeting point as the destination. Google Maps then routes you from your current location. The "from A" and "from B" links open the route from each person's starting point instead.

9. Is this halfway point calculator free, and can I use it on my phone?

The tool is free and needs no account. It works in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer, so you can find the halfway point between two locations on your phone without installing an app. The places you type are looked up through our server with OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service, and the midpoint is sent to place search and routing services to find cafés and roads. Nothing is saved on our side, and your current location is only used if you press 📍 and allow it.

10. How accurate are the distances and the place details?

The midpoint and the straight-line distances are exact on a spherical Earth, within about 0.5 percent of a survey measurement. Driving distances and times come from OSRM and do not include live traffic. Place names, addresses and opening hours come from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers keep up to date, so always check the opening hours before you travel.

Services, libraries and credits

This tool is built on open data and open source software. Many thanks to the people behind these projects.

Leaflet 1.9 · BSD-2-Clause
Draws the interactive map, the markers, the route lines and the popups.
OpenStreetMap · ODbL
The open map data behind the addresses, the road network and every suggested meeting place.
Nominatim · OSM data, usage policy
Turns the addresses you type into coordinates, finds the nearest address of the midpoint, and loads opening hours and contact details of places.
Photon by komoot · Apache-2.0, fair use
Finds the named public places closest to the halfway point, fast.
Overpass API · AGPL-3.0
Backup place search, used only when Photon cannot answer.
OSRM (Open Source Routing Machine) · BSD-2-Clause
Calculates the road route and the driving time for the two driving modes.
Protomaps (hosted by KONAKTIVE), CARTO, Esri World Imagery · Provider terms
Street and satellite basemap tiles.
Google Maps URLs · Link format only
The "Get directions" and "Google Maps" buttons open Google Maps with these public link formats.
WhatsApp Click to Chat · Link format only
The share button opens WhatsApp with a ready-made message through the public wa.me link.

The midpoint maths (3D vector average, haversine distance and the halfway point along a route) was written for this tool and is checked by automated tests, including the date line and points on opposite sides of the Earth.

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Place details and opening hours come from OpenStreetMap and may be out of date. Always check before you travel. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Protomaps (hosted by KONAKTIVE), CARTO, Esri.

Halfway Point Finder: Meet in the Middle