KM Radius Map

Draw a radius in kilometers on any map. Metric-first for users outside the US and UK.

Radius Map in Kilometers

This is the metric version of our radius map tool. It defaults to kilometers for users who work in metric units — which is most of the world outside the United States and United Kingdom. All features are identical: address search, multiple circles, drag to resize, shareable links, and export.

The tool supports addresses in any country and any language. Whether you're in Berlin, Sydney, Tokyo, or São Paulo, simply type your address and the search will find it. The map tiles come from OpenStreetMap, which has excellent coverage worldwide.

Why Kilometers Are the Global Standard

Over 95% of the world's population lives in countries that use the metric system. Only three countries — the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar — officially use miles as their primary unit of distance.

Global Distance Unit Usage

Metric (kilometers)95.5%

Imperial (miles)4.5%

Based on country population and official measurement systems

This tool is designed for users in Europe, Australia, Canada, Asia, Africa, and South America — anywhere the metric system is standard. If you need miles, switch to the miles version.

5 Ways to Use a KM Radius Map

Here are practical examples of how people use kilometer radius maps in their daily work and planning:

1. Delivery Zone Planning (EU E-commerce)

An online grocery store in Amsterdam wants to offer same-day delivery. They draw a 15 km radius around their warehouse to visualize which neighborhoods they can serve. The circle helps them see that they can cover Haarlem (20 km away) but it would require expanding their delivery zone.

Typical radius: 5-25 km for urban delivery, 50-100 km for regional

2. School Catchment Areas (Australia)

Parents in Melbourne use a 5 km radius around potential schools to see which suburbs fall within a reasonable commute. Australian school zoning often follows distance-based rules, making radius maps essential for families choosing where to live.

Typical radius: 2-5 km for primary schools, 5-15 km for secondary

3. Emergency Response Planning (Germany)

Fire departments in Bavaria use radius maps to ensure all areas are within 10 km of a fire station — the maximum distance for an effective emergency response. If a gap appears, it indicates where new stations might be needed.

Critical distances: 5 km (urban), 10 km (suburban), 15 km (rural)

4. Running and Cycling Routes (France)

A runner in Lyon wants to find new 10K routes. By drawing a 5 km radius around their home (the furthest point if running out and back), they can explore all the parks, trails, and paths within range on the map before planning their route.

Common running radii: 2.5 km (5K), 5 km (10K), 10 km (half marathon out-and-back)

5. Retail Site Selection (Canada)

A franchise looking to open in Toronto draws 3 km radius circles around existing competitors to find underserved areas. They also draw a 5 km radius around potential locations to estimate how many potential customers live within a reasonable driving distance.

Retail trade areas: 1-3 km (convenience), 5-10 km (destination), 25+ km (specialty)

Common Kilometer Radius Reference

Use this table to understand what different kilometer radii look like in practice:

Radius	Area Covered	Miles Equivalent	Common Uses
1 km	3.14 km²	0.62 mi	Walking distance, neighborhood
2 km	12.6 km²	1.24 mi	Cycling distance, school zones
5 km	78.5 km²	3.1 mi	Urban delivery, parkrun range
10 km	314 km²	6.2 mi	Commuting distance, service areas
15 km	707 km²	9.3 mi	Suburban coverage, emergency response
25 km	1,963 km²	15.5 mi	Regional retail, commuter rail
50 km	7,854 km²	31.1 mi	Day trip range, distribution zones
100 km	31,416 km²	62.1 mi	Sales territories, media markets

How Far Is That? Walking Time Reference

To put kilometer distances in perspective, here's how long it takes to walk each distance at an average pace of 5 km/h (a comfortable walking speed):

Distance	Walking Time	Cycling Time (15 km/h)	Driving Time (City)
500 m	6 minutes	2 minutes	2 minutes
1 km	12 minutes	4 minutes	3 minutes
2 km	24 minutes	8 minutes	5 minutes
5 km	60 minutes	20 minutes	12 minutes
10 km	2 hours	40 minutes	20-30 minutes

Note: Actual travel times vary based on terrain, traffic, and route. For accurate travel time analysis, use our drive time map or walking radius map.

KM to Miles Quick Conversion

If you need to communicate distances with colleagues in the US or UK, here's a quick reference:

1 km

≈ 0.62 mi

5 km

≈ 3.1 mi

10 km

≈ 6.2 mi

50 km

≈ 31 mi

Quick formula: Multiply km by 0.62 to get miles, or divide km by 1.6

How to Draw a KM Radius

Enter your location

Type any address, city name, or postal code in the search box. The tool works in any country and any language — try "Paris", "東京", or "São Paulo".

Set your radius in kilometers

Use the radius input field or click a quick preset (1, 5, 10, 50, or 100 km). The circle updates instantly as you type.

Drag to fine-tune

Drag the center marker to move the circle. Drag the edge marker to resize. The radius display updates in real-time.

Add more circles (optional)

Click "Add Circle" to draw multiple radius circles on the same map. Each can have a different center, radius, and color.

Share or export

Copy a shareable link, download a PNG image, or export to KML for use in Google Earth or other GIS software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this different from the main radius tool?

No — it's the same tool with kilometers as the default unit. You can switch to miles, meters, or feet at any time using the unit dropdown. This page simply starts in kilometers for convenience.

Does address search work outside the US?

Yes. The search is powered by OpenStreetMap's Nominatim, which supports addresses worldwide in any language. You can search in German, Japanese, Arabic, or any other language — the system will find the location.

How accurate is the radius measurement?

The radius is calculated using the Haversine formula, which accounts for Earth's curvature. This gives you geodesic accuracy — the circle represents true surface distance, not Euclidean (flat) distance. For radii under 500 km, the accuracy is within a few meters.

Can I use this for COVID lockdown radius checks?

Yes. This tool was heavily used during 2020-2021 lockdowns when many countries imposed 5 km or 10 km travel limits. The radius shows straight-line ("as the crow flies") distance, which is typically how these regulations were defined.

What's the maximum radius I can draw?

There's no hard limit, but the map works best for radii up to about 1,000 km. Beyond that, the Web Mercator projection used by the map introduces visible distortion. For continental-scale distances, consider using GIS software with a different projection.

Can I export the circle to Google Earth?

Yes. Click the "KML" button to download a KML file. This file can be opened in Google Earth, Google My Maps, QGIS, ArcGIS, and most other GIS or mapping software. The circle will appear exactly as it does here.

Does the radius represent driving distance?

No — this shows straight-line distance. Driving distance is typically 20-40% longer due to road networks. If you need to see how far you can drive in a certain time, use our drive time map instead, which calculates actual travel distance along roads.

Why does my circle look oval-shaped when I zoom out?

This is due to the Web Mercator map projection, which distorts shapes and sizes increasingly as you move away from the equator. The circle is actually accurate on Earth's surface — it just appears distorted on the flat map. This effect is most noticeable for very large radii or at high latitudes.