Embodiments of techniques and systems for distance and location estimation in wireless systems are described. In embodiments, a wireless device may receive wireless signals from reference points in a spatial arrangement. The wireless device may identify a closest reference point and generate arrangement-based distance values for each of the reference points based on a propagation model. The wireless device may adjust the propagation model based on the received wireless signals and the arrangement-based distance values, and may generate adjusted distance values using the adjusted propagation model. The wireless device may use the adjusted distance values and the spatial arrangement to estimate the location of the wireless device. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.