DistanceAtlas is an online distance-comparison resource for exploring how far apart cities and towns are worldwide. Its database covers 154,044 places across 250 countries, with searchable city profiles and country and regional directories. Users can compare any two locations and view straight-line distances in kilometres, miles and nautical miles, alongside an interactive great-circle map, compass direction, geographic midpoint, nearby places and time-zone difference.

The service calculates core distances from stored latitude and longitude coordinates using the haversine formula and a mean Earth radius of 6,371 kilometres. It distinguishes these spherical, as-the-crow-flies measurements from travel estimates: driving distances, flight times and fuel figures are presented as planning estimates, not verified routes or guaranteed journey times. Flight-time estimates assume a direct route operates, while driving estimates are based on straight-line distance rather than turn-by-turn road directions.

DistanceAtlas also features popular routes, capital-to-capital comparisons and city profiles with ready-made destination comparisons, helping visitors explore locations and make informed distance comparisons.