Distance and Connectivity operations are used to define the geographic relationships between map features. Using these functions, the distance between features, visibility from any given point, travel times, and areas encompassed by a buffer can all be calculated.

Two components are required for the measurement of distance: a standard unit and a procedure for measurement. Most computer-oriented systems use the 'grid space' as the standard unit of measure, implying the superimposing of an imaginary grid over the selected area. Actual distance from one location to another is measured by counting the number of intervening grid spaces and multiplying the number of spaces by the map scale.

Connectivity analysis determines which features in an area are connected to each other.