Michigan

Distance from Grand Rapids to Sterling Heights

Straight-line distance

135.7mi

Grand Rapids, MI and Sterling Heights, MI are 135.7 miles (218.4 km) apart in a straight line. From Grand Rapids, the shortest path starts out heading E (100°).

kilometers
218.4
nautical miles
117.9
heading from Grand Rapids
100° E
heading from Sterling Heights
282° WNW
Grand RapidsSterling Heights

Orange line: great-circle path · ring: midpoint · thin lines: county borders

How far Grand Rapids is from Sterling Heights

The great-circle distance between the Census internal points of Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights is 135.7 miles, 218.4 km or 117.9 nautical miles. That is the shortest path over the Earth's surface, computed with the haversine formula on a sphere with the mean Earth radius, 6,371.0 km. A course held on one compass bearing (a rhumb line) would be 135.7 miles, practically the same at this range.

Measurements

Miles
135.7
Kilometers
218.4
Nautical miles
117.9
Bearing from Grand Rapids
100.3° E
Bearing arriving at Sterling Heights
102.0°
Bearing from Sterling Heights
282.0° WNW

Halfway between Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights

The great-circle midpoint is at 42.778696, -84.338923 (42°46'43.31"N 84°20'20.12"W). The nearest incorporated place of 1,000 or more people is Perry, MI, with 2,129 residents, 7.1 miles from the midpoint. To find towns near the midpoint of any two places, use the halfway tool.

Time zones and daylight

Both use America/Detroit, so there is no time difference. On June 21, Grand Rapids gets 15 h 22 min of daylight and Sterling Heights 15 h 19 min; on December 21, 9 h 00 min and 9 h 03 min. The two sit at nearly the same latitude, so their day lengths match closely all year.

Population compared

Grand Rapids has 1.5 times the population of Sterling Heights. From July 2020 to July 2024, Grand Rapids changed by +0.7% and Sterling Heights by +0.2%. Both are in Michigan.

  1. 01Grand Rapids, MI200,117 (+0.7%)
  2. 02Sterling Heights, MI134,342 (+0.2%)
July 1, 2024 population and change since July 2020, Census Vintage 2024.

Questions people ask

How far is Grand Rapids from Sterling Heights?

135.7 miles, 218.4 km or 117.9 nautical miles along the great circle between the two Census internal points. Road distance is longer.

Which direction is Sterling Heights from Grand Rapids?

E. The great-circle path leaves Grand Rapids on a bearing of 100.3° and arrives at Sterling Heights on 102.0°. The return trip starts on 282.0°.

What is halfway between Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights?

The midpoint is at 42.778696, -84.338923. The nearest incorporated place of 1,000+ is Perry, MI, 7.1 miles from it.

Is there a time difference between Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights?

Both use America/Detroit, so there is no time difference.

Which is bigger, Grand Rapids or Sterling Heights?

Grand Rapids, with 200,117 residents in July 2024 against 134,342 for Sterling Heights, 1.5 times as many.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census 2024 Gazetteer internal points and Vintage 2024 estimates; time zones from Open-Meteo.

  1. 01Census 2024 Gazetteer, places
  2. 02Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  3. 03SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
  4. 04IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.