JoseFitani
🏢 Business Mapping

Delivery Radius Calculator

Define the delivery radius around your business to visualize your service area.

This page explains how the delivery radius calculator works, the data and formulas behind it, and how to interpret the result. Business mapping helps with territory planning, delivery zones, store locators and market analysis. All calculations use open data and open algorithms, so the results are transparent and reproducible. The tool is one of 329 free, open tools on JoseFitani for maps and geography. It runs in your browser with no sign-up needed. Use the search field or click the map to drop a pin - the tool uses location-based analysis using open data and returns the result in seconds. Below you'll find a step-by-step guide, real use cases, the methodology, FAQs, and data sources.

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How to use this tool

1
Enter your input

Type your query, paste coordinates, or click on the map. The tool uses location-based analysis using open data to process your input locally in the browser.

2
View the result

The result appears instantly with the map showing your location. You can adjust by clicking elsewhere or searching a new place.

3
Copy or share

Click Copy to save to clipboard, or Share to send a direct link with the exact inputs.

What people use this tool for

Setting honest delivery promises

Restaurants and shops can define their delivery area by actual drive time — say 25 minutes — instead of a misleading straight-line circle. Customers inside the zone get realistic arrival estimates, and drivers stop being blamed for 'slow' deliveries across a river with one bridge. The zone can be tightened or loosened as staffing changes.

Example: A pizzeria in Leeds sets a 20-minute drive-time zone and quotes 35–45 minute deliveries inside it instead of promising city-wide 30-minute service.
Planning mobile service routes

Mobile mechanics, pet groomers, and home-service businesses can see which postcodes fall within a profitable drive-time radius of base. Jobs outside the zone get a call-out surcharge or a polite decline instead of eating the day's schedule. The map makes the policy visible to both dispatchers and customers.

Example: A mobile dog groomer in Sydney draws a 30-minute drive zone and adds a travel fee for bookings beyond it.
Choosing a new branch location

Retailers scouting expansion can compare candidate sites by the population reachable within a 15-minute drive of each. Two sites a kilometre apart can have wildly different drive-time catchments because of one-way systems and motorway access. The comparison grounds the decision in how customers actually travel.

Example: A pharmacy chain compares three high-street shortlist sites by 15-minute drive-time coverage before signing a lease.
Coordinating volunteer coverage

Food banks, community kitchens, and volunteer driver schemes can map realistic pickup and drop-off zones around their depot. Drive-time zones respect the road network volunteers actually use, unlike circles that ignore it. Publishing the zone sets expectations and reduces awkward refusals.

Example: A community food bank maps a 25-minute drive zone around its warehouse so donors know which surplus pickups the van can reach.

How it's calculated

Draws a circle of the given radius around your business location.

The calculation runs in your browser - no data is sent to our servers. Map tiles come from OpenStreetMap (ODbL license), geocoding uses Nominatim (1 request/second limit), and elevation uses the Open-Elevation API backed by SRTM data. All are free, open services.

All calculations use the WGS84 datum (EPSG:4326), the same as GPS. For other datums (NAD27, NAD83, ETRS89), a separate conversion is needed. The difference is typically under 1 metre - negligible for most uses but important for survey-grade work.

The formulas match those in professional GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS, Global Mapper), just in a browser-friendly form. For sub-metre accuracy, use professional software with ellipsoidal calculations. Results are shown in multiple units: km and miles for distance, km²/m²/hectares/acres for area, metres and feet for elevation. Conversion factors are exact (1 mile = 1.609344 km), so the only error source is input precision.

Related tools and resources

For more tools in this category, explore the related tools listed below. Each tool includes full documentation, examples and FAQs. Explore related tools in our Business category for complementary functionality. See the Tools index for all 329 tools, or read our blog for in-depth articles on geography and maps.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export this?

Yes - as KML, GeoJSON or PNG.

What is the difference between this and Radius Map?

Delivery Radius builds zones from drive time or road distance along the actual street network, so the shape follows roads and is irregular. Radius Map draws a perfect straight-line circle that ignores roads entirely. Use Delivery Radius when travel reality matters — deliveries, service calls — and Radius Map for simple distance-based sketches.

Does the drive-time zone account for traffic?

Drive-time calculations use typical road speeds from map data, not live traffic conditions. A 20-minute zone at midday can easily become 35 minutes in rush hour. Build a buffer into customer promises, and recheck the zone shape if your area has strong peak/off-peak differences.

Which is better: drive time or distance?

Drive time matches customer expectations better, because nobody experiences kilometres — they experience minutes. Distance zones are simpler and stable, while drive-time zones shift with road speeds. For delivery promises, use drive time; for fuel or mileage costing, use distance.

Why is the zone shape irregular instead of a circle?

Because roads are irregular. A motorway corridor stretches the zone far in one direction while a river with few crossings pinches it in another. That lopsided shape is the honest picture of where a driver can actually reach in the time limit. A neat circle would be prettier and wrong.

Can I use this for walking or cycling delivery zones?

The tool is built around motor-vehicle road networks and speeds. Walking and cycling zones need different speeds and sometimes different permitted paths, like footpaths closed to cars. A straight-line radius is often a better starting sketch for bike couriers, refined with local knowledge.

How often should I recheck my delivery zone?

Recheck whenever the road network changes — new bypasses, bridge works, or long-term closures reshape drive times noticeably. A yearly review is a sensible habit for most businesses, plus a quick look after any major local road project. Zones that nobody revisits quietly go stale.

Does it include toll roads in the calculation?

Drive-time routing generally assumes the fastest legal route, which may include toll roads. If your drivers avoid tolls, the real zone will be smaller than shown. Factor toll policy into your planning rather than assuming the map matches your drivers' habits.

Can customers check whether their address is covered?

The map is generated in your browser for planning, not as a customer-facing widget. For your website, publish a clear description of the zone — neighbourhood names or a postcode list work well — rather than embedding a live map. A simple 'enter your postcode' check needs a proper store-locator setup.

Data sources & methodology