The diameter of the Earth can be measured from the North Pole to the South Pole or at the equator. The diameter of the Earth at the equator is 12,756 kilometers (km) or 7,926 miles. However, the Earth is not a perfect sphere, and its diameter varies depending on where it is measured from. The diameter of the Earth at the poles is slightly smaller than the diameter at the equator. The latest measurements indicate that the Earth has an equatorial diameter of 12,756 km (7,926 mi) and a polar diameter of 12,713.6 km (7,899.86 mi) . The difference in Earths diameter has often been important when it comes to planning space launches, the orbits of satellites, and when calculating the size of the planet.