# GeoDistance query doesn't work with distance unit equal to miles

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [June 9, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228 "2015-06-09T14:55:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ayushsangani](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ayushsangani/32/9612_2.png) [@ayushsangani](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ayushsangani)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228/1 "2015-06-09T14:55:15Z")

</div>

Hello Everyone,

I am using GeoDistance Query inside post\_filter which works well with `distance_unit = km`.  
But when I change it to `miles` it gives me an exception:

Sample Query:

```
   {
    "aggregations": {
    "nested_geopoint": {
      "aggregations": {
        "zoomedInView": {
          "filter": {
            "geo_bounding_box": {
              "addresses.location": {
                  "top_left": {
                              "lat": 42.3577323732945,
                              "lon": -71.0593786189176
                           },
                           "bottom_right": {
                              "lat": 42.3523895073352,
                              "lon": -71.0499948394231
                           }
              }
            }
          },
          "aggs" : {
              "zoom1": {
          "geohash_grid": {
            "field": "addresses.location",
            "precision": 8
          },
          "aggs" : {
              "cell" : {
                  "geo_bounds" : {
                      "field" : "addresses.location"
                  }
              }
          }
        }
          }
        }
      },
      "nested": {
        "path": "addresses"
      }
    }
  },
   "post_filter": {
   "nested": {
     "path": "addresses",
     "query": {
       "filtered": {
         "filter": {
           "geo_distance": {
             "distance": 1,
             "distance_unit": "miles",
             "addresses.location": {
               "lat":-71.004999999999995,
               "lon": 42.341760000000001
             }
           }
         }
       }
     }
   }
 }
}

```

In above query `location` is a nested field. `post-filter` is used after `aggregations`. After executing this query it throws below exception:

```
  nested: ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException[the character 'i' is not a valid geohash character]; }]",
       "status": 400

```

Please let me know if I'm doing something wrong or any other clarification is required.

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228/2 "2015-06-10T01:35:36Z")

</div>

Very odd, that looks valid according to [the docs](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/common-options.html#distance-units).

What version are you on?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ayushsangani](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ayushsangani/32/9612_2.png) [@ayushsangani](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ayushsangani)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228/3 "2015-06-10T01:57:56Z")

</div>

Thanks for the reply @warkolm.  
I'm using ES 1.4.4.  
Apparently `post_filter` also doesn't have any effect on the results, anyways that's a separate issue to discuss.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/geodistance-query-doesnt-work-with-distance-unit-equal-to-miles/2228/4 "2017-07-06T00:08:43Z")

</div>