GPS Coordinates Guide

WGS84

The standard coordinate system for GPS. Most map services use WGS84.

Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS)

1 degree = 60 minutes, 1 minute = 60 seconds. e.g., 37° 30' 30" = 37.5083°

Coordinate Format

Latitude ranges from -90 to 90, longitude from -180 to 180. Positive values are North/East, negative are South/West.

Coordinate Precision

6 decimal places gives approximately 10cm accuracy. Generally, 5 decimal places is sufficient.

Understanding GPS Coordinates

Latitude

Latitude represents a position on Earth's surface from the equator, measured in degrees north or south up to 90°.
The equator is 0°, the North Pole is 90°N, and the South Pole is 90°S.
Positions north of the equator are positive (+), while south are negative (-).

Longitude

Longitude represents a position on Earth's surface from the Prime Meridian (Greenwich, UK), measured east or west up to 180°.
Positions east of the Prime Meridian are positive (+), while west are negative (-).
The maximum is +180° (180°E) to the east and -180° (180°W) to the west.

Converting Decimal Degrees (DD) to DMS

How to convert decimal coordinates to degrees (°), minutes ('), and seconds (").

Degrees (°): The integer part of the decimal coordinate
Minutes ('): Integer part of (decimal part × 60)
Seconds ("): Remaining decimal part × 60

Example: 37.566535° → 37° 33' 59.53"

Converting DMS to Decimal Degrees (DD)

Formula to convert DMS coordinates to decimal degrees.

DD = Degrees + (Minutes ÷ 60) + (Seconds ÷ 3600)

Example: N 37° 33' 59" + E 126° 58' 41" → 37.566389, 126.978056

What is the GPS Coordinates Converter?

A tool that converts between addresses and GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude). Enter an address to get coordinates, or enter coordinates to find the address. You can also select coordinates directly by clicking on a map. Supports conversion between DD (decimal degrees) and DMS (degrees, minutes, seconds) formats.

How to Use

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips & Best Practices

* World Geodetic System 84 (WGS 84)