Minimum Distance Calculation – From Polygon Centroid to Edge Using ArcGIS Desktop and ModelBuilder

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I am looking to calculate the minimum distance from the Center of a polygon (A crescent shaped polygon would have a center inside the polygon) to its edge. I have parcel data and I am trying to calculate in my model I created how tall I can build a cell tower on that parcel. The maximum height that I can build the tower is equal to the minimum distance from the center of the parcel to its edge. Is their a simple way to calculate this? Once I have the minimum distance calculated I can complete my query for my model.

Best Answer

The following approach requires you to have an Advance license:

  • Convert your polygons to lines using the Feature To Line tool
  • Identify the distance from your centroid point to the line using the Generate Near Table tool

These two steps can be wrapped up in a model.

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