Coordinate Converter
Convert lat/long between decimal, DM, and DMS formats
About Coordinate Formats
Geographic coordinates can be written in three common formats. Decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7488) are the most compact and the easiest format for software. Degrees and minutes (40° 44.928′ N) are common in aviation and marine charts. Degrees, minutes, seconds (40° 44′ 55.7″ N) appear on older maps and in cadastral records.
Negative values are equivalent to using S (latitude) or W (longitude) — both are accepted as input. The converter parses any of the three formats automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work for any datum (WGS84, NAD27, …)?
This is purely a format conversion — the values represent the same point regardless of input format. Datum transformation (WGS84 ↔ NAD27 etc.) is a different operation that requires a more specialized tool.
How precise is one decimal place of degrees?
Roughly: 1 degree ≈ 111 km, 0.001 degree ≈ 111 m, 0.000001 degree ≈ 11 cm. Six decimal places of decimal degrees gives you sub-meter precision.