Glossary
Aviation Geography
Magnetic Variation
Embed This Widget
Add the script tag and a data attribute to embed this widget.
Embed via iframe for maximum compatibility.
<iframe src="https://airportfyi.com/iframe/glossary/magnetic-variation/" width="420" height="400" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:10px;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>
Paste this URL in WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-compatible platform.
https://airportfyi.com/glossary/magnetic-variation/
Add a dynamic SVG badge to your README or docs.
[](https://airportfyi.com/glossary/magnetic-variation/)
Use the native HTML custom element.
Definition
The angular difference between true north and magnetic north at a given location
Related Terms
Bearing
The horizontal direction from one point to another, measured in degrees from true north
Runway (RWY)
A defined rectangular surface on an airport prepared for aircraft takeoff and landing
VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR)
A ground-based radio navigation system providing bearing information to aircraft
Mentioned In
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Magnetic Variation?
The angular difference between true north and magnetic north at a given location
How does Magnetic Variation relate to other aviation concepts?
Magnetic Variation is closely related to Bearing and Runway, among other key aviation concepts.
More in Aviation Geography
Bearing
Continental Airspace
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
Flight Corridor
Great Circle Distance (GCD)
Hemisphere
International Date Line (IDL)
Kangaroo Route
Knot (kt)
Latitude
Longitude
Nautical Mile (NM)
Oceanic Airspace
Polar Route
Statute Mile (SM)
Time Zone
Transatlantic Route
Transpacific Route
Tropic of Cancer