Map Scale Calculator

Convert from map to real life

Convert from real life to map

Calculate map scale

Understanding map scale

A map represents real-world objects at a reduced size. The relationship between a distance on the map and the corresponding distance on the ground is the map scale.

Representative fraction

A representative fraction such as 1:10,000 means one unit on the map represents 10,000 of the same units on the ground. The numerator remains 1 and the denominator states the reduction factor.

Linear scale

A linear or bar scale marks real-world distances along a line. It remains useful when a printed map is enlarged or reduced because the bar changes size with the map.