How To Draw a Circle of a Certain Radius on Google Maps

Lee Stanton October 3, 2023

Although you can always measure the distance between two points on Google Maps, sometimes drawing a circle with a certain radius is a more helpful solution. However, is this possible on Google Maps? Or will you need to resort to a different app? Let’s find out how to draw a circle of a certain radius on Google Maps.

How To Draw a Circle of a Certain Radius on Google Maps

Draw a Circle Radius on Google Maps

Although Google Maps is a powerful tool with many features, drawing a circle directly inside the app isn’t possible. Nevertheless, you can still use Google My Maps or a third-party tool to achieve your goal. Here are two of the most straightforward ways to do so.

My Maps

My Maps is a Google Maps feature that allows you to create your own maps with custom layers and looks. This handy app doesn’t have a radius tool per se, but you can still achieve the same effect by importing a layer with the desired information. You’ll need to use a separate tool for this, but don’t worry, the process is straightforward. Here’s how to go about it.

Log into your Google Account and go to Google My Maps.
Click the Create a New Map button or open an existing map.
Find the spot you want to make the center of your radius.
- If it already has a Google Maps entry, select its pin and click Add to Map.
- If you want to use a custom address, use the marker tool under the search bar to place a new pin for it.
Find the latitude and longitude of your spot at the bottom of its info card. You’ll need these numbers in the following step.

The next step requires you to generate a KML (Keyhole Markup Language) file using the coordinates mentioned above. Follow these steps.

Open a new tab and navigate to KML4Earth’s Circle Generator tool.
Select the size of your radius in the desired unit.
Copy and paste the center point’s latitude and longitude coordinates.
Pick a color and width for your circle. You can edit this later.
Click Generate circle.

Your browser will automatically download a KML file. You’ll use this file as a new layer on your map.

Go back to your Google My Maps.
Click Add layer on the left-side panel
Find Import under the newly created untitled layer.
Upload the file you just generated.

Congratulations. Now you know how to draw a circle of a certain radius on Google Maps. You can enable or disable the circle by checking or unchecking its layer on the panel, where you can also edit its color and center point. When selected, you can even modify the shape of your circle if you want to exclude some areas by dragging the handles around its edge. Naturally, you can also repeat the steps above to add multiple layers and thereby multiple circles to your map if you wish.

Although this method involves a few extra steps, it’s the best way to draw a circle on Google Maps, especially if you want to access your newly generated map from other devices easily. You can find your custom maps in the Google Maps app in the following way:

Open the Google Maps app for iOS or Android and tap the Saved button at the bottom of the screen.
Scroll down until you find the Maps option.
Select the map you just edited on your PC.

Map Developers

Another quick method to draw a circle on Google Maps is to use Map Developers’ Circle Tool. This tool is really simple, but it does the job without unnecessary bells and whistles. You can create as many circles as you want, which can be useful if you’re trying to determine where areas intersect. You can also save the link to your custom map to access it whenever you need it. Here’s how to use this website to draw a circle of a certain radius on Google Maps.

Open Map Developers’ Circle Tool.
Enter the address you want to draw the circle around. You can also use its latitude and longitude coordinates.
Determine the size of the radius.
Hit Zoom to Address, then New Circle to create your circle.

Although this tool is simpler than that of Google My Maps, it gives you a higher level of control regarding the exact size of the radius you want to create. You can also easily customize the color of your circle and its border, as well as adjust its size and location by simply dragging it on the map. If you need to edit the details of your radius, just change the settings and click Edit Circle to apply the changes.

Create Your Custom Map

A map with a clear representation of a certain radius is sometimes indispensable. Fortunately, it’s easy to create and access your custom maps using Google My Maps. If you just need a quick solution, the Map Developers’ tool has got your back.

Do you think Google Maps should integrate the radius feature into their main app? Would you use this tool often? Let us know in the comments section below.