GPS Coordinate Converter (DMS, DMM & Decimal Degrees)
Paste a coordinate in any common notation, such as 40°42′46″N 74°0′22″W or 40.7128, -74.0060, and convert it between decimal degrees (DD), degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS) and degrees-decimal-minutes (DMM), with UTM shown alongside. For UTM easting/northing input, use the UTM to Lat/Long converter.
30.267333, -97.743083
Austin, Texas
✓ Successfully parsed into WGS84: 30.267333°, -97.743083°
Click anywhere on the map to sample coordinates in real time.WGS84 EPSG:4326
How to use the GPS coordinate converter
- 1Paste a coordinate
Enter a coordinate in decimal degrees, DMS or DMM. Hemisphere letters (N, S, E, W) and minus signs both work.
- 2Check the parsed value
The input is parsed and validated (latitude within ±90°, longitude within ±180°) and shown on a map preview.
- 3Copy the other formats
Copy the same point as DD, DMS, DMM or UTM.
GPS Coordinate Formats Explained
Geographic positions can be expressed in multiple mathematical and cartographic conventions. Each notation was engineered for specific technological and operational workflows. If you do not have a coordinate to convert yet, a lat long finder reads one from your device's GPS, an address or a map click:
1. Decimal Degrees (DD) — Software & Web Maps
40.7128, -74.0060The global standard for GIS databases, SQL spatial queries, Google Maps, and mapping APIs. Northern latitudes and eastern longitudes are positive; southern latitudes and western longitudes are negative.
2. Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS) — Marine & Aviation
40° 42′ 46.1″ N, 74° 00′ 21.6″ WThe traditional sexagesimal navigational system inherited from Babylonian mathematics. Standard for nautical paper charts, maritime vessel logs, and FAA aeronautical navigation.
3. Degrees Decimal Minutes (DDM) — Handheld GPS & Geocaching
40° 42.768′ N, 74° 00.360′ WThe native coordinate format displayed on Garmin and handheld GPS hiking receivers, marine chartplotters, and international geocaching registries.
4. Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) — Land Surveying
18T 583960m E 4507352m NProjects Earth onto a flat metric Cartesian grid divided into 60 longitudinal zones. Because distances are measured in meters, distance and area calculations require simple Pythagorean math.
5. Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) — Defense & NATO
18TWL8396007352NATO’s alphanumeric standard based on UTM. Divides zones into 100,000-meter squares labeled with two letters, followed by easting and northing grid coordinates.
6. Open Location Plus Codes — Addressing Without Streets
87G8P27F+9VDeveloped by Google as an open addressing standard for informal settlements, remote wilderness, and humanitarian disaster relief where street names do not exist.
How the UTM Zone Is Calculated
The UTM projection divides the globe between 80° S and 84° N into 60 longitudinal zones, each 6 degrees wide. Zone 1 begins at the International Date Line (180° W) and numbers eastward:
\text{Zone Number} = \left\lfloor \frac{\lambda + 180^{\circ}}{6^{\circ}} \right\rfloor + 1- Shift longitude by +180°: -77.0353 + 180.0 = 102.9647°.
- Divide by 6° zone width: 102.9647 ÷ 6 = 17.1608.
- Apply floor function: floor(17.1608) = 17.
- Add 1: 17 + 1 = Zone 18.
- Latitude 38.8895° N falls in latitude band S (32°N to 40°N). Full grid zone: 18S.
All surveyor measurements in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia operate within UTM Zone 18 North using central meridian 75° W.
WGS84 vs. NAD83 vs. ED50: Datum Differences
A coordinate pair is completely meaningless without specifying its geodetic datum. A datum defines the origin, orientation, and reference ellipsoid used to model Earth’s shape:
- WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984): The global reference frame maintained by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and utilized by the GPS satellite constellation.
- NAD83 (North American Datum of 1983): The statutory datum used by U.S. state and federal surveying agencies. Because the North American tectonic plate shifts approximately 2.5 centimeters per year westward relative to Earth’s deep mantle, NAD83 coordinates and WGS84 coordinates have drifted apart by 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) across the continental United States.
- ED50 (European Datum 1950): An older regional datum used in legacy European mapping. Converting ED50 coordinates directly to WGS84 without applying 7-parameter Helmert datum transformation parameters introduces errors exceeding 100 meters (330 feet).
Common Coordinate Input Mistakes
Over 90% of coordinate conversion failures result from simple typographical and formatting errors:
1. Swapping Latitude and Longitude (Northing vs. Easting)
Latitude is always written first in geographic notation (-90° to +90°), followed by longitude (-180° to +180°). In computer graphics and GIS GeoJSON, the order is reversed: [longitude, latitude].
2. Omitting Western / Southern Negative Signs
Writing 34.05, 118.25 instead of 34.05, -118.25 lands in the Yellow Sea off the coast of China rather than downtown Los Angeles, California.
3. Sexagesimal Overflow (Minutes ≥ 60)
There are 60 arcminutes in a degree and 60 arcseconds in a minute. An input like 40° 65′ 12″ is mathematically invalid and will be rejected by our smart parser.
4. Decimal Comma vs. Decimal Point
European and South American notation uses commas for decimal separation (40,7128). Open Map Lab’s auto-detecting parser automatically normalizes decimal commas to dots.
GPS Coordinate Conversion Examples (Table)
Reference coordinates for iconic global structures across Decimal Degrees, DMS, and UTM:
Multi-Format Coordinate Benchmark Table
Computed on the WGS84 datum using Transverse Mercator series expansion.
| Global Landmark | Decimal Degrees (DD) | Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS) | Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statue of Liberty (NYC) | 40.6892° N, 74.0445° W | 40° 41′ 21.1″ N, 74° 02′ 40.2″ W | 18T 580749m E 4504625m N |
| Eiffel Tower (Paris) | 48.8584° N, 2.2945° E | 48° 51′ 30.2″ N, 2° 17′ 40.2″ E | 31U 448255m E 5411964m N |
| Sydney Opera House | -33.8568° S, 151.2153° E | 33° 51′ 24.5″ S, 151° 12′ 55.1″ E | 56H 334902m E 6252431m N |
| Great Pyramid of Giza | 29.9792° N, 31.1342° E | 29° 58′ 45.1″ N, 31° 08′ 03.1″ E | 36R 320005m E 3317769m N |
| Taj Mahal (Agra) | 27.1751° N, 78.0421° E | 27° 10′ 30.4″ N, 78° 02′ 31.6″ E | 44R 206263m E 3008976m N |
Accuracy and Limitations for Surveying
- Legal Property Boundaries: Never use web-based coordinate converters to establish real estate property lines or fence placements. Boundary law in the United States is governed by recorded metes-and-bounds deeds and monumented boundary pins.
- State Plane Coordinate Systems (SPCS): Professional civil engineering in the United States utilizes State Plane grids (NAD83 SPCS), which apply localized conformal conic or transverse Mercator projections with scale factors near 1.0000. Do not interchange generic UTM with State Plane coordinates without applying grid-to-ground elevation scale factors.
Quick facts about the GPS coordinate converter
| Fact | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Universal Parser | Auto-detects Format | Accepts raw text with or without degree symbols |
| Grid System | UTM & WGS84 | Converts between lat/lon and planar UTM easting/northing |
Edge cases and exceptions
Negative Degrees vs. S/W Notations
Correctly converts negative latitudes (-30°) into Southern hemisphere indicators (30° S).
The GPS coordinate converter: worked examples
Maritime Chart Entry
Scenario: Converting GPS decimal degrees to nautical DMM format for a boat navigation log.
Outcome: Transforms 25.7617, -80.1918 into 25°45.702'N 80°11.508'W.
Frequently asked questions about the GPS coordinate converter
What coordinate formats are supported?
Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS), Degrees Decimal Minutes (DMM), and UTM.
How do I convert decimal degrees to degrees, minutes, seconds?
The whole number is degrees. Multiply the decimal by 60 to get minutes; multiply the remaining decimal by 60 to get seconds. 40.7128° is 40° 42' 46.08".
How do I convert DMS to decimal degrees?
Decimal = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600. 74° 0' 21.6" W is -74.006° (the sign is negative for west or south).
What is DMM format?
Degrees decimal minutes keeps whole degrees but shows minutes with decimals, as in 40° 42.768' N. Many marine GPS units use it.
What is UTM?
Universal Transverse Mercator divides Earth into 60 zones, each six degrees wide, and gives position in meters east and north. It is used for surveying and topographic maps.
What does N or S and E or W mean in coordinates?
They give the hemisphere. N and E are positive and S and W are negative in decimal degrees.
Why do my coordinates not match in different apps?
Common causes are swapped order (lat, lon vs lon, lat), missing negative signs, different datums, or rounding.
How do I write coordinates for geocaching?
Geocaching typically uses degrees and decimal minutes, such as N 40° 42.768 W 074° 00.360.
What coordinate format does Google Earth use?
Google Earth accepts decimal degrees, DMS and DMM, and KML files store longitude, latitude, altitude in decimal degrees.
What is the datum used for the conversion?
All conversions assume the WGS84 datum. Coordinates from another datum, such as NAD27 or OSGB36, need a datum transformation first.
What is MGRS?
The Military Grid Reference System is built on UTM and gives a compact alphanumeric grid reference used by the military and emergency services.
How precise should converted coordinates be?
Keep at least five decimal places in decimal degrees (about 1 meter) or one decimal of an arcsecond when precision matters.
Can I paste coordinates with symbols or letters?
Yes. The parser accepts degree, minute and second symbols and N, S, E and W letters in common formats.
Can I convert a list of coordinates?
This tool converts one coordinate at a time. For a spreadsheet, plot the points with the CSV to map tool.
What is a plus code?
An Open Location Code, or plus code, is a short alphanumeric code for a location, such as 87G8Q2XM+8F. It is a different system from latitude and longitude.
Keep exploring
What to do with this result
- UTM to Lat/Long Converter (Easting & Northing)Use this to convert UTM to latitude and longitude.
- Latitude and Longitude Finder (GPS Coordinates of Any Place)Use this to find latitude and longitude.
- Coordinates to Address Converter (Reverse Geocoder)Use this to convert coordinates to an address.
- Pin Drop Map — Drop Pins & Save LocationsUse this to drop pins on a map.
- CSV to Map VisualizerUse this to plot a CSV file on a map.