Stationing Calculator
Convert between engineering stationing notation (e.g. 15+00.250) and decimal distances for roads, railways, and linear projects.
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About engineering stationing
Engineering stationing is a notation used in civil engineering to mark distances along linear projects like roads, railways, pipelines, and canals. A station is typically 100 meters (metric) or 100 feet (US imperial), written as a number plus an offset: "15+00.250" means 15 full stations plus 0.250 m = 1500.250 m from the start.
This system makes it easier for surveyors and engineers to identify locations along long alignments. Plans and profiles reference stations, and all survey records, construction stakes, and as-built drawings use this notation. Converting between station and decimal form is essential for CAD import/export, GNSS field collection, and machine control.
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Common use cases
Converting design stations from plans to metric distances for CAD software imports.
Translating GPS field distances back to stationing for construction stakeout.
Computing distance between two stations for quantity calculations.
Bridging metric (100 m) and US (100 ft) stationing conventions across international projects.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard station interval?
In metric projects, a station is usually 100 m. In the United States, 100 ft (30.48 m) is traditional. Some railway systems use 1000 m or 1 mile intervals.
How do I read "25+37.500"?
25 full stations plus 37.5 m. At 100-m interval: 2500 + 37.5 = 2537.5 m from the start of the alignment.
Can stations be negative or before the zero point?
Yes. Negative stations exist for extensions before the original start. Some projects use "0-500.000" for 500 m before station 0+00.
Does stationing follow the centerline even on curves?
Yes. Stationing always measures distance along the alignment centerline, even when it curves. Offset stakes are computed perpendicular to the tangent at each station.
Related tools
Combine with our offset calculator for setting out points along an alignment, and horizontal curve calculator for curve geometry.