Nether Portal Calculator

Calculate Nether portal coordinates, travel distances, and obsidian requirements

Calculate Nether Portal Details

Portal Location Results

Overworld Portal
(0, 0, 0)
Nether Portal
(0, 0, 0)

Travel Distance Analysis

Distance from spawn
0.0 blocks
Converted distance
0.0 blocks
Travel ratio
0.0:1

1 block in the Nether = 8 blocks in the Overworld (horizontal travel only)

Example Calculations

Coordinate Conversion Example

Overworld base: (800, 64, 1200)

Nether portal location: (100, 64, 150)

Travel efficiency: 8x faster through Nether

Formula: Nether X,Z = Overworld X,Z ÷ 8

Obsidian Calculation Example

Standard portal (4×5): 10 blocks without corners

Large portal (10×15): 42 blocks without corners

Formula: 2(w-2) + 2(h-2) + 4 (if corners)

Portal Building Steps

1

Gather Obsidian

Mine with diamond/netherite pickaxe

Or use bucket method with lava

2

Build Frame

Create rectangular obsidian frame

Minimum 4×5, maximum 23×23

3

Light Portal

Use flint and steel

Creates purple portal blocks

Portal Tips

Y-coordinate stays the same between dimensions

1 block in Nether = 8 blocks in Overworld

Corner blocks are optional for functionality

Portals link within 17×17 chunks (Overworld)

Can't build portals in the End dimension

Understanding Nether Portals

How Nether Portals Work

Nether portals are rectangular frames of obsidian that create gateways between the Overworld and the Nether. When activated with fire, they transport players between dimensions with coordinate scaling.

Coordinate Conversion

  • Horizontal coordinates (X, Z) scale 1:8 ratio
  • Vertical coordinate (Y) remains unchanged
  • Overworld to Nether: divide by 8
  • Nether to Overworld: multiply by 8

Portal Linking Rules

Search Range: 17×17 chunks (Overworld) / 3×3 chunks (Nether)

  • Step 1: Game converts coordinates to target dimension
  • Step 2: Searches for existing portals near target
  • Step 3: Links to nearest portal if found
  • Step 4: Creates new portal if none exist

Tip: Build portals precisely at calculated coordinates to ensure proper linking

Obsidian Requirements Formula

Blocks = 2(width - 2) + 2(height - 2) + 4 (if corners)

10
Minimum blocks (4×5)
84
Maximum without corners (23×23)
88
Maximum with corners (23×23)