Coordinates Converter

What is a Coordinates Converter?

A Coordinates Converter is a tool used to translate geographic locations between different notation formats. The two most common formats are Decimal Degrees (DD) and Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS). While both systems describe the same point on Earth using latitude and longitude, they express it differently.

• Decimal Degrees (DD): This format expresses latitude and longitude as decimal fractions. It is the most common format used in modern GPS systems and online mapping tools like Google Maps. For example, the location of the Eiffel Tower might be expressed as 48.8584° N, 2.2945° E.
• Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS): This is the traditional, sexagesimal format where each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided into 60 seconds. The same location would be expressed as 48° 51' 30.24'' N, 2° 17' 40.2'' E.

Our converter provides a seamless bridge between these two formats, which is essential for anyone working with maps, navigation, surveying, or geographic data.

How to Use the Coordinates Converter

Our converter is designed with two distinct tabs for easy, error-free conversion in either direction.

Converting from Decimal Degrees (DD) to DMS:

1. Select the "DD to DMS" tab.
2. Enter Latitude: Input the latitude in decimal degrees into the first field. Use a negative sign for South.
3. Enter Longitude: Input the longitude in decimal degrees into the second field. Use a negative sign for West.
4. View the Result: The DMS equivalent will be automatically calculated and displayed in the result boxes below.

Converting from Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS) to DD:

1. Select the "DMS to DD" tab.
2. Enter Latitude (DMS): Input the degrees, minutes, and seconds for the latitude into their respective fields.
3. Enter Longitude (DMS): Do the same for the longitude.
4. View the Result: The Decimal Degree equivalent will be instantly calculated and shown in the result boxes.

The Conversion Formulas

DD to DMS Formula:

To convert from decimal degrees, the whole number part becomes the degrees. The decimal part is multiplied by 60 to get the minutes. The decimal part of the minutes is then multiplied by 60 to get the seconds.

$$ \text{Degrees} = \text{floor}(DD) $$

$$ \text{Minutes} = \text{floor}((DD - \text{Degrees}) \times 60) $$

$$ \text{Seconds} = ((DD - \text{Degrees}) \times 60 - \text{Minutes}) \times 60 $$

DMS to DD Formula:

To convert from DMS, the formula aggregates the values into a single decimal.

$$ DD = \text{Degrees} + \frac{\text{Minutes}}{60} + \frac{\text{Seconds}}{3600} $$

Practical Example: Navigation

A hiker is planning a trip using a paper map that lists a waypoint in DMS format: 40° 44' 54'' N, 73° 59' 9'' W. To enter this into their GPS device, which uses decimal degrees, they need to convert it.

• Known Latitude: 40° 44' 54''
• Known Longitude: 73° 59' 9''
• Using the calculator:
  1. Go to the "DMS to DD" tab.
  2. Enter 40, 44, and 54 in the latitude fields.
  3. Enter 73, 59, and 9 in the longitude fields.
• Result: The calculator would show a latitude of approximately 40.748333° and a longitude of 73.985833°. Since it's West longitude, the hiker would enter -73.985833 into their GPS.

For more advanced coordinate system conversions, such as converting to UTM, you can use our Lat/Long to UTM Converter. For angle calculations, the Degrees Minutes Seconds Calculator is a useful tool.

To learn more about geographic coordinate systems, you can visit the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). For a visual exploration of coordinates, Google Maps is an invaluable resource.