How to Calculate Nether Distance in Minecraft

Fast traveling through the Nether is always a common way of transportation in Minecraft, and for good reason. Traveling through the Nether helps speed up your travel time on the overworld and that’s why players build ice bridges and railways over there. So, here’s how you can calculate the Nether distance in Minecraft.

How to get Nether Distance in Minecraft

To calculate the Nether distance in Minecraft, all we need to do is divide the X and Z coordinates of the portal in the Overworld by eight. Alternatively, you can multiply the X and Z coordinates of the portal in the Nether by eight. If you are playing on the Java or Bedrock edition of Minecraft, the calculations remain the same even if you are playing on a different version.

Number of Blocks Traveled in the Overworld vs. in the Nether

Traveling one block in the Nether is equal to eight Blocks in the overworld. This is why Nether Portals can sometimes be wonky to predict where they appear.

To calculate the coordinates in the Overworld to the Nether all we have to do is divide the number of blocks in our Overworld’s X and Z coordinates by eight or multiply the number of blocks in the Nether’s X and Z coordinates by eight. This way, we will know exactly what coordinates we are whether or not we’re in the Nether.

Do Portal Sizes Matter in Calculating Nether Distance?

The size of the portal matters if we want to accurately calculate where we will spawn in both the Nether and the Overworld. It is always ideal to build the Nether portals in a two-by-three blocks standard. Check out how to make a Nether Portal or how to make them with water and lava. Because of the portal’s spawning mechanics, building larger portals may teleport you into a nearby but different location, duplicating your portals and essentially breaking your portal links.

To fix this, you must have your portals with the exact same number of obsidian blocks, placed accurately on the Nether’s coordinates to the coordinates of your Overworld portal that’s divided by eight.

Does your Y axis matter in calculating Nether Distance?

The Y axis usually does not matter, but to be completely safe, it’s always better to link the portals in a spot where it is safe to spawn. As long as the X and Z axis are aligned, your portal will link properly. Since the Caves and Cliffs update in Minecraft, new underground biomes can be a problem when trying to build a new portal from the Nether. To avoid this, you will only need to build your portal in the nether at least Y = 60 and this will assure you that you will be on land where you can see the skies.

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