Geographic coordinates finder

What are geographic coordinates?

The geographic coordinate system locates any point on Earth by its latitude (north–south relative to the equator) and longitude (east–west relative to the Greenwich meridian). Those measurements are expressed on a reference system, WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984), which models the Earth as an ellipsoid, sets the origin of the measurements, and is the standard for GPS and most digital maps.

Coordinate formats

The same point can be written in several ways. The format does not change the location: it changes the notation, the precision shown, and the tools that can interpret it. In every example on this page, latitude comes first and longitude comes second.

Decimal degrees

This is the simplest format for GPS, web maps, spreadsheets, open data, and APIs. Each coordinate is written as a signed number: north and east are positive; south and west are negative. Latitude ranges from −90 to 90 (south and north poles) and longitude from −180 to 180 (west and east relative to Greenwich). For example, 40.7128, -74.0060 represents a northern latitude and a western longitude.

More decimal places describe a position in greater detail: near the equator, 4 decimals equal a precision of about 10 metres, and 5 decimals about 1 metre.

Degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS)

This is the traditional sexagesimal system used on maps and charts. One degree has 60 minutes, and one minute has 60 seconds. Cardinal directions indicate the hemisphere, as in 40° 42' 46.1" N, 74° 0' 21.6" W. It is easy to read when consulting a chart, dictating a position, or comparing it with a written reference, although it usually needs to be converted before it can be used in an application.

Degrees and decimal minutes (DDM)

This format keeps degrees and minutes but writes the fraction of a minute as a decimal: 40° 42.768' N, 74° 0.360' W. It is common in navigation and nautical charting. When copying it, keep the degrees, the minute value, and the hemisphere indicator; it should not be confused with decimal degrees.

UTM

UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) divides the Earth into 60 zones of 6 degrees of longitude and expresses the position in metres. It is used mainly in surveying, cadastre, engineering, and local mapping, when it is more convenient to measure in metres than in degrees. A UTM coordinate has three parts. For example, 18T 583959 4507351 (approximately 40.7128, -74.0060) reads as follows: 18T is zone 18 and latitude band T (a strip of about 8° of latitude); 583959 is the distance in metres east within that zone; and 4507351 is the distance in metres north. Without the zone and the band, easting and northing do not identify a unique point. UTM is not defined beyond 84° N or 80° S.

Plus Code

A Plus Code, also called an Open Location Code, is a short address made of letters, numbers, and a + sign. Instead of reading out latitude and longitude, you can share a code such as 87G7PX7V+4H (approximately 40.7128, -74.0060).

Google Maps popularized this format, and it is used for deliveries, meeting points, rural homes, and any situation where a precise place needs to be indicated without relying on a traditional address.

Geohash

A geohash is a compact string of letters and numbers built for software applications. Its first characters represent a broad area; each additional character divides it into smaller cells. That is why it is useful for indexing locations, finding nearby candidates, and transmitting coordinates briefly. For example, dr5regw3p corresponds to approximately 40.7128, -74.0060. It is neither a postal address nor a distance: if two points fall just on different sides of a cell, their geohashes can look very different even when they are only a few metres apart.