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Returns the minimum distance between two geometries.
Usage
Returns
Point.distance(right, maxError, proj, spherical)
Float
Argument
Type
Details
this: left
Geometry
The geometry used as the left operand of the operation.
right
Geometry
The geometry used as the right operand of the operation.
maxError
ErrorMargin, default: null
The maximum amount of error tolerated when performing any necessary reprojection.
proj
Projection, default: null
The projection in which to perform the operation. If not specified, the operation will be performed in a spherical coordinate system, and linear distances will be in meters on the sphere.
spherical
Boolean, default: false
If true, the calculation will be done on the unit sphere. If false, the calculation will be elliptical, taking earth flattening into account. Ignored if proj is specified. Default is false.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Missing the information I need","missingTheInformationINeed","thumb-down"],["Too complicated / too many steps","tooComplicatedTooManySteps","thumb-down"],["Out of date","outOfDate","thumb-down"],["Samples / code issue","samplesCodeIssue","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-06-23 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eCalculates the minimum distance between two geometries, returning the result as a float.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eAccepts a right geometry as input, along with optional \u003ccode\u003emaxError\u003c/code\u003e for reprojection and \u003ccode\u003eproj\u003c/code\u003e for specifying the projection.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eIf a projection isn't specified, calculations are performed in a spherical coordinate system with distances in meters.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eCan be applied to Point geometries, as demonstrated in the examples.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],["The `distance` method calculates the minimum distance between two geometries (`left` and `right`). It accepts optional parameters: `maxError` (maximum tolerated error), `proj` (projection for calculation), and `spherical` (specifies spherical or elliptical calculation when `proj` is not given). The method returns a float value representing the calculated distance. The example code demonstrates how to define a `Point`, calculate the distance to another geometry, and visualize both elements on a map.\n"],null,["# ee.Geometry.Point.distance\n\nReturns the minimum distance between two geometries.\n\n\u003cbr /\u003e\n\n| Usage | Returns |\n|------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|\n| Point.distance`(right, `*maxError* `, `*proj* `, `*spherical*`)` | Float |\n\n| Argument | Type | Details |\n|--------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|\n| this: `left` | Geometry | The geometry used as the left operand of the operation. |\n| `right` | Geometry | The geometry used as the right operand of the operation. |\n| `maxError` | ErrorMargin, default: null | The maximum amount of error tolerated when performing any necessary reprojection. |\n| `proj` | Projection, default: null | The projection in which to perform the operation. If not specified, the operation will be performed in a spherical coordinate system, and linear distances will be in meters on the sphere. |\n| `spherical` | Boolean, default: false | If true, the calculation will be done on the unit sphere. If false, the calculation will be elliptical, taking earth flattening into account. Ignored if proj is specified. Default is false. |\n\nExamples\n--------\n\n### Code Editor (JavaScript)\n\n```javascript\n// Define a Point object.\nvar point = ee.Geometry.Point(-122.082, 37.42);\n\n// Define other inputs.\nvar inputGeom = ee.Geometry.Point(-122.090, 37.423);\n\n// Apply the distance method to the Point object.\nvar pointDistance = point.distance({'right': inputGeom, 'maxError': 1});\n\n// Print the result to the console.\nprint('point.distance(...) =', pointDistance);\n\n// Display relevant geometries on the map.\nMap.setCenter(-122.085, 37.422, 15);\nMap.addLayer(point,\n {'color': 'black'},\n 'Geometry [black]: point');\nMap.addLayer(inputGeom,\n {'color': 'blue'},\n 'Parameter [blue]: inputGeom');\n```\nPython setup\n\nSee the [Python Environment](/earth-engine/guides/python_install) page for information on the Python API and using\n`geemap` for interactive development. \n\n```python\nimport ee\nimport geemap.core as geemap\n```\n\n### Colab (Python)\n\n```python\n# Define a Point object.\npoint = ee.Geometry.Point(-122.082, 37.42)\n\n# Define other inputs.\ninput_geom = ee.Geometry.Point(-122.090, 37.423)\n\n# Apply the distance method to the Point object.\npoint_distance = point.distance(right=input_geom, maxError=1)\n\n# Print the result.\ndisplay('point.distance(...) =', point_distance)\n\n# Display relevant geometries on the map.\nm = geemap.Map()\nm.set_center(-122.085, 37.422, 15)\nm.add_layer(point, {'color': 'black'}, 'Geometry [black]: point')\nm.add_layer(input_geom, {'color': 'blue'}, 'Parameter [blue]: input_geom')\nm\n```"]]