Distance Between Two Postcodes
Find the straight-line distance between any two UK postcodes or outcodes, single pair or batch. Miles, km, and CSV export.
Enter two UK postcodes (or outward codes like "SW1" and "M23") to instantly see the straight-line distance between them in miles and kilometres, plus compass bearing and estimated travel time. Need more than one pair? Switch to Batch mode, paste a list of postcode pairs - copied straight from a spreadsheet or email - and get every distance back in a results table you can export as a CSV that opens directly in Excel.
Free UK Postcode Distance Calculator
Need the distance between two UK postcodes? This free tool gives you the straight-line distance instantly, in miles and kilometres, whether you're checking a single pair or working through a whole list. Type two postcodes - or outward codes like "SW1" or "M23" - and the tool plots both points on a map with a direct line between them.
For more than one pair, switch to Batch mode and paste your list straight from a spreadsheet or email. Every pair is resolved and shown in a results table, which you can export as a CSV that opens directly in Excel or Google Sheets - no plugin or macro needed.
Postcodes and Outcodes Both Work
The tool accepts:
- Full UK postcodes - SW1A 1AA, M1 1AA, EH1 1YZ
- Outward codes (outcodes) - M23, EC1A, LS1
- Bare London-style districts - "SW1" resolves to the average centre point across SW1A, SW1E, SW1H, SW1P, SW1V, SW1W, SW1X and SW1Y, with a note confirming that
Mixing formats is fine - "SW1 to M23" works just as well as a full postcode-to-postcode pair.
Batch Mode: Distance for Multiple Postcode Pairs
Switch to Batch mode and paste a list of postcode pairs, one per line, in the format
from postcode, to postcode. The tool resolves every pair, shows the straight-line
distance for each in the results list, and draws every pair as a line on the map - click a
result to highlight its line. Up to 200 pairs per batch.
Once calculated, download the whole set as a CSV (From, To, Miles, Km) for use in Excel, Google Sheets, or any other spreadsheet or reporting tool.
Understanding the Results
How the Distance Is Calculated
The distance shown is straight-line (also called "as the crow flies" or great-circle) distance - the shortest possible distance between two points on Earth's surface, ignoring roads, terrain, and obstacles.
Why Not Road Distance?
This tool - like every free tool on MapTools.uk - calculates straight-line distance only, for both single pairs and batch lists. Actual road distance is typically 20-40% longer, since roads curve around obstacles and follow the terrain rather than travelling directly. If you need real road-distance routing between postcodes, turn-by-turn navigation, or multi-stop route planning, Route Planner Pro uses real road-distance routing for accurate results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I work out the distance between two postcodes?
Type the two UK postcodes into the From and To boxes and click Calculate Distance. The tool looks up the centre point of each postcode and works out the straight-line distance between them in miles and kilometres, along with the compass bearing and a rough estimated walking, cycling and driving time based on that straight-line distance - not real road routing.
Can Excel calculate the distance between postcodes?
Not on its own - Excel has no built-in postcode-distance function, so you'd normally need a plugin, a macro, or a paid add-in. This tool does the same job for free: switch to Batch mode, paste your list of postcode pairs (one pair per line), and download the results as a CSV that opens straight into Excel or Google Sheets.
What's the distance between two addresses?
If you only have addresses, use the postcode from each address - that's accurate enough for almost every use case, since a UK postcode typically covers a small group of neighbouring properties. Type each postcode into the From and To boxes to get the distance.
Does this tool show driving distance?
No - this tool calculates straight-line distance only, both for single pairs and batch lists. Actual road distance is typically 20-40% longer. For real road-distance routing between postcodes, turn-by-turn navigation, and multi-stop route planning, see Route Planner Pro.
Can I use an outcode instead of a full postcode?
Yes. Outward codes like "M23" or "EC1A" work directly. For London-style districts that were historically split into lettered sub-areas (like "SW1", which covers SW1A, SW1E, SW1H, SW1P, SW1V, SW1W, SW1X and SW1Y), the tool uses the average centre point across all of them and shows a note confirming that.
How many postcode pairs can I look up at once?
Up to 200 pairs in a single batch. Switch to Batch mode, paste one pair per line as "postcode, postcode", and click Calculate Distances. Results can be exported as a CSV.
Related Tools
More postcode and distance tools on MapTools.uk:
- Distance Between - comparing places, not postcodes? Try the general straight-line distance tool
- Postcode Mapper - want to see a list of postcodes on a map, not their distances? Plot them all at once
- Nearest Postcodes - looking for what's near one postcode, not the distance to a specific one? Find the closest postcodes to any location
- Postcode to Lat/Long - just need coordinates, not a distance? Convert postcodes to latitude and longitude
- Route Optimiser - got more than two stops to visit in order? Plan an efficient multi-stop route
- Data Sources - where our data comes from and how it's updated