How Can I Calculate the Distance Between Two Latitude/Longitude Points in SQL Server?

Leveraging SQL Server's Geography Data Type for Distance Calculations

Determining the distance between two points specified by latitude and longitude necessitates a specialized approach. SQL Server, starting with version 2008, offers the geography data type, a powerful tool for handling and analyzing geographic information.

The geography::Point method constructs a geography object for each point, employing SRID 4326, which corresponds to WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984). Once these objects are created, the STDistance method efficiently calculates the distance:

<code class="language-sql">DECLARE @orig geography = geography::Point(@orig_lat, @orig_lng, 4326);

SELECT *,
       @orig.STDistance(geography::Point(dest.Latitude, dest.Longitude, 4326)) AS distance
--INTO #includeDistances
FROM #orig dest</code>

This yields a precise distance in meters. For example, given sample data:

<code>Latitude        Longitude     Distance 
53.429108       -2.500953     85.2981833133896</code>

The calculated distance will be approximately 85.3 meters, providing a considerably more accurate result than simpler methods. The geography data type is thus a robust and efficient solution for geospatial applications in SQL Server, simplifying complex calculations while enhancing accuracy.

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