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Coordinates

How to Read GPS Coordinates

GPS coordinates on CoordMap are WGS84. Decimal degrees (DD) look like 51.5074. DMS splits each value into degrees, minutes and seconds with N/S or E/W. DDM uses degrees plus decimal minutes. All three can describe the same point.

Decimal degrees

Decimal degrees are the default on CoordMap because they paste cleanly into APIs. Four decimal places locate a point to roughly 11 m, which is enough for a city-center marker but not a property corner. More decimals are not more “official”; they only claim finer precision.

DMS and DDM

Paper maps and some GNSS receivers still show DMS (for example 51°30'26"N). DDM is common in marine and aviation logs. Use the format converter when you need to switch. Conversion is arithmetic on the same WGS84 angles; it does not change datum.

Hemisphere letters vs minus signs

51.5074, -0.1278 is the same location as 51°30'26"N 0°07'40"W. The minus sign on longitude means west. Never mix a minus sign with a W letter on the same number.

Examples

DD51.5074, -0.1278
DMS51°30'26.6"N 0°07'40.1"W

Use the matching CoordMap tool

Related tools

Convert FormatsSwitch between decimal lat/lng and degrees-minutes-secondsLongitude and Latitude FinderFind longitude and latitude from an address, or get the address from the mapCitiesWorld cities coordinates, latitude, longitude and mapsConvert CoordinatesConvert coordinates from one map system to another

Related guides

What Is Latitude?Latitude is the angular distance north or south of the equator. It ranges from 90° S at the South Pole to 90° N at the North Pole, with 0° on the equator. On CoordMap and in GPS, latitude is listed first in a WGS84 pair.What Is Longitude?Longitude is the angular distance east or west of the prime meridian in Greenwich. It ranges from −180° to +180° (or 180° W to 180° E). Unlike latitude, the ground distance of one degree of longitude shrinks toward the poles.What Is Geocoding?Forward geocoding converts text (an address or place name) into WGS84 coordinates. Reverse geocoding converts coordinates into a readable label. Neither is a legal survey. Results depend on the upstream gazetteer and may be ambiguous for common names.Latitude vs LongitudeLatitude is north–south (−90 to 90). Longitude is east–west (−180 to 180). CoordMap writes latitude first. If a “latitude” is 120, the pair is almost certainly swapped or in the wrong CRS.

Common questions

Which format should I share?

Share decimal degrees unless the recipient asked for DMS. City pages include a copy button for each row.

Does converting to DMS change accuracy?

Only if you round seconds too coarsely. The converter keeps the same underlying angles.