Free Surveying Tool

Traverse Closure Calculator

Enter your field bearings and distances. Get latitudes, departures, closure error, and precision ratio — instantly.

Bearing input:

Course 1 — Bearing

°
'
"

Distance

ft
Lat—
Dep—

Course 2 — Bearing

°
'
"

Distance

ft
Lat—
Dep—

Course 3 — Bearing

°
'
"

Distance

ft
Lat—
Dep—

Traverse Closure Reference

Latitude

The N/S component of a course. Lat = Distance × cos(azimuth). Positive northward, negative southward.

Departure

The E/W component of a course. Dep = Distance × sin(azimuth). Positive eastward, negative westward.

Closure Error

The linear distance between the start and end of the traverse: √(ΣLat² + ΣDep²). A perfectly closed traverse has 0.

Precision Ratio

Perimeter ÷ Closure Error, expressed as 1:X. Higher is better. ALTA surveys require 1:10,000 or better.

Closure Bearing

The direction from the computed end point back to the true start. Reported as a quadrant bearing.

ALTA Standard

1:10,000 or better. Most boundary surveys require 1:7,500+. Rough work may accept 1:5,000.

Key Formulas

Latitude = Distance × cos(azimuth)

Departure = Distance × sin(azimuth)

Closure = √(ΣLat² + ΣDep²)

Precision = Perimeter ÷ Closure → 1 : X

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