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Use Measure in Google Earth on the web or mobile, or Tools → Ruler in Google Earth Pro. Click points to measure a straight distance or trace a route; close the points into a shape to calculate area and perimeter. The result is an estimate, not a survey.
Choose the right Google Earth version
| Your task | Best fit | What it offers |
|---|---|---|
| Quick distance, route, area, or perimeter | Google Earth on the web | Measure tool in a desktop browser; no installation required. |
| Measure from a phone | Google Earth mobile | Touch-based point placement; Android instructions include a point-elevation readout. |
| Circle circumference, saved measurements, or 3D building measurements | Google Earth Pro | Desktop Ruler modes include circles, 3D paths, and 3D polygons; measurements can be saved under Places. |
| Legal, construction, or survey-grade result | None of these alone | Use a licensed surveyor, authoritative parcel data, or a professional GIS or engineering workflow. |
Google Earth Pro is the desktop application for Windows, Mac, and Linux. See Google Earth downloads. The web measurement workflow is documented at Google Earth measurement help.
Before measuring
- Decide what you are measuring: a straight-line distance, a route, a boundary, or an area. A two-point measurement is a straight segment; it will not follow a winding road or trail unless you add points along it.
- For the clearest ground placement, use a top-down view and the satellite basemap. Google Earth may switch to top-down view when you start measuring.
- Choose the boundary deliberately. A roof edge, fence, parcel line, and vegetation edge are not necessarily the same thing.
- Treat the displayed result as an estimate. Google says ordinary distance and area results do not account for elevation changes and are not substitutes for onsite or survey-grade measurements.
Measure distance in Google Earth on the web
- Open Google Earth in a desktop browser and search for a place or navigate to it.
- Click Measure at the top of the screen. The map switches to a top-down view.
- Click the starting point, then click the ending point.
- Double-click the last point or click Done.
- Read the length in the inspector panel on the right. The web tool can also show heading and, for applicable shapes, additional terrain information.
To adjust the result, drag a point to reposition it. Use Undo to remove the latest point, Start New to begin a separate measurement, or Close to remove the measurement and return to the map.
Measure a winding route or path
For a driveway, trail, road, shoreline, or fence line, add points along the feature rather than measuring only its endpoints.
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- Bright, high-resolution 5” glass capacitive touchscreen display lets you easily view your route
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- View food, fuel and rest areas along your active route, and see upcoming cities and milestones
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- Start Measure.
- Click the route’s starting point and continue clicking at meaningful bends.
- Double-click the final point or choose Done.
- Read the total length in the inspector.
More points let the drawn line follow curves more closely; too few points simplify the route. Google Earth measures the segments you draw—it does not automatically identify a road or trail centerline. For web paths with three or more points, Google may also show minimum, median, and maximum terrain elevation and slope statistics. These are inferred estimates, and the median is the 50th-percentile value, not the average. Initial terrain values may be coarse and are refined after the feature is completed. See Google’s measurement documentation.
Measure area and perimeter
- Activate Measure.
- Click around the boundary, adding points at corners and along curves.
- Close the polygon by double-clicking the first point.
- Read the area and perimeter in the right-side inspector.
An open line reports length, not area. If no area appears, close the shape. For an irregular boundary, add enough points to represent its curves: a simplified polygon can materially change both area and perimeter.
Change units
The web inspector lets you choose the displayed measurement units. On Android, use the unit dropdown next to the result; broader settings are under Menu → Settings → Format and Units. In Google Earth Pro, set units on Windows through Tools → Options → Units of measurement, or on Mac through Google Earth → Preferences → Units of measurement. Available choices depend on the version and measurement type.
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- 6” high-resolution navigator includes map updates of North America
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- Road trip–ready features include the HISTORY database of notable sites, a U.S. national parks directory, Tripadvisor traveler ratings and millions of Foursquare POIs
- Driver alerts for things such as school zones, sharp curves and speed changes help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness
- Access live traffic, fuel prices, parking, weather and smart notifications when you pair this navigator with your compatible smartphone running the Garmin Drive app
Measure on Android or iPhone
Android
- Open the Google Earth app, then search for a place or select a location.
- Tap Measure.
- Move the map and tap Add point at each location.
- Tap Undo to remove the last point, or Done to finish.
- Read the distance at the bottom. To calculate area, connect the final point to the first and tap Close Shape.
- Tap Start New for another measurement or Back to leave the measurement.
These labels and steps follow Google’s Android measurement instructions.
iPhone and iPad
Google’s measurement documentation includes an iOS workflow. The basic process is to open Measure, add points, finish the line, or close the shape for area. App layout and labels can vary by release and device, so follow the controls shown in your version. See Google Earth measurement help.
Check a point’s elevation on Android
Tap a location on the map and read the elevation shown with its coordinates. Google’s Android instructions say the app cannot measure the elevation difference between two points.
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Measure in Google Earth Pro
- Open Google Earth Pro and navigate to the location.
- Select Tools → Ruler.
- Choose a measurement mode. Select Mouse Navigation in the Ruler window if necessary.
- Click the starting point and then the next point or points. Read the result in the Ruler window.
- To keep the measurement, select Save, name it, and click OK. It appears under Places in the left panel.
Google Earth Pro’s documented modes include Polygon for ground distance or area, Circle for circumference on the ground, 3D path for distance between a building and ground locations, and 3D polygon for height, width, and area of 3D buildings. These are Pro features; do not assume they appear in web or mobile Earth. Details are in Google Earth Pro measurement help.
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- Find the saved item under Places and check it to display it.
- Double-click its name to open it.
- Hover over the shape, right-click, and choose Properties on Windows or Get Info on Mac.
- Edit available path details, such as altitude, color, or style.
Measure elevation and slope
Web terrain statistics
For applicable paths and polygons, Google Earth on the web may report terrain elevation and slope statistics. These values are sampled and interpolated from terrain data; they are estimates, not field readings.
Elevation profile in Pro
- Draw a path or open an existing one.
- Select Edit → Show Elevation Profile.
- Read the profile in the lower section of the 3D Viewer. Hover over the path to inspect elevation and distance, or drag across part of the profile to inspect a section.
If the profile shows zero elevation, Google says to enable the Terrain layer. The profile is useful for understanding a route’s terrain, but it is not certified elevation data. See Google Earth Pro help.
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- 8” navigator with high-resolution, dual-orientation display and map updates of North America .Special Feature:Large Display; Voice Assist; Hands-Free Calling; Live Traffic and Weather; Traffic Cams and Parking; Smart Notifications,Driver Alerts; Tripadvisor; National Parks Directory; Find Places by Name; Garmin Real Directions Feature.
- Hands-free calling when paired with your compatible smartphone with BLUETOOTH technology and convenient Garmin voice assist lets you ask for directions to places you want to go
- Road trip–ready features include the HISTORY database of notable sites, a U.S. national parks directory, Tripadvisor traveler ratings and millions of Foursquare POIs
- Driver alerts for things such as school zones, sharp curves and speed changes help encourage safer driving and increase situational awareness
- Access live traffic, fuel prices, weather, parking and smart notifications when you pair this navigator with your compatible smartphone running the Garmin Drive app
Why a map distance can differ from travel distance
Ordinary length and area calculations do not account for elevation changes. A trail drawn across a hillside can therefore have a greater ground distance than its map measurement suggests. Android’s point-elevation readout does not calculate the difference between two points; Pro’s elevation profile is the more suitable Google Earth option for examining a path’s terrain.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How accurate are Google Earth measurements?
Google describes measurements as estimates and says they are not a substitute for onsite or survey-grade measurements. Top-down viewing and satellite imagery are recommended, but neither makes a user-drawn line a legal boundary or a guaranteed exact measurement. The displayed number of decimal places is not proof of real-world accuracy. Google’s qualifications are in its measurement guidance.
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Results can vary when users choose different points, interpret a boundary differently, use different zoom levels or views, draw a straight segment instead of a multi-point path, or leave a polygon open. Imagery may not show current fences, construction, vegetation, or road conditions. Buildings and tilted views can also obscure the ground edge. For a clearer estimate, work top-down, zoom in, use satellite imagery, add points around bends, and avoid placing points on the apparent edge of a 3D building when you mean its ground footprint. These are practical steps, not guarantees of accuracy.
Best Value
- Bright, high-resolution 5” glass capacitive touchscreen display lets you easily view your route
- Get more situational awareness with alerts for school zones, speed changes, sharp curves and more
- View food, fuel and rest areas along your active route, and see upcoming cities and milestones
- View Tripadvisor traveler ratings for top-rated restaurants, hotels and attractions to help you make the most of road trips
- Directory of U.S. national parks simplifies navigation to entrances, visitor centers and landmarks within the parks
Troubleshooting
The Measure button is missing
Check which edition you opened. Google Earth Pro uses Tools → Ruler; web and mobile Earth use Measure. A different app version, a narrow browser or mobile layout, or being inside a project view may also change where the control appears. Return to the main Earth map and use the path for your platform.
No area appears
The shape may still be an open line. On the web, close it by double-clicking the first point; on Android, use Close Shape.
The result looks wrong or incomplete
- Check that each point is on the intended feature and that a route has enough points to follow its bends.
- For area, make sure the polygon is closed and traces the boundary you actually intend to measure.
- Switch to a top-down view, zoom in, and use satellite imagery to place points more clearly.
- If 3D buildings obscure the ground, avoid measuring from their apparent edges.
Pro elevation reads zero
Enable the Terrain layer, as Google recommends for a zero-valued elevation profile.
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Do not rely on a Google Earth measurement alone for a legal property boundary, deed interpretation, construction layout, compliance decision, or engineering measurement. Use a licensed land surveyor for boundary or site work, recorded plats and authoritative local parcel data for property information, or a professional GIS or engineering workflow for spatial analysis. Google Earth is useful for preliminary planning, not for establishing legal rights or replacing certified field measurements.
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