SO-25531700

<?php
/**
* Run this as http://example.com/test.php
*/

function do_it( $where ) {
    $params = array(
        'origin'        => 'New York, NY',
        'destination'   => $where,
        'sensor'        => 'true',
        'units'         => 'metric'
    );

    // Join parameters into URL string
    foreach($params as $var => $val){
        $params_string .= '&' . $var . '=' . urlencode($val);
    }

    // Request URL
    $url = "http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json?".ltrim($params_string, '&');

    // Make our API request
    $curl = curl_init();
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
    $return = curl_exec($curl);
    curl_close($curl);

    // Parse the JSON response
    $directions = json_decode($return);

    // Print distance
    printf(
        '<p><strong>Distance from %s: </strong>%s</p>',
        $where,
        $directions->routes[0]->legs[0]->distance->text
    );
}

do_it( 'Manchester, NH' );
do_it( 'Philadelphia, NJ' );