Coordinate conversion guide
Convert latitude and longitude into the format you need
A coordinate converter changes the notation used to describe a location without moving the location itself. Enter decimal latitude and longitude, DMS, DDM, UTM, UPS, MGRS, USNG, a Plus Code or a Geohash to see the equivalent WGS 84 coordinates in the other supported formats.
How to convert coordinates
- Paste the location. Use the smart field for a coordinate pair, complete grid reference, Plus Code, Geohash or supported map URL. You can also enter latitude and longitude separately.
- Check the detected format. The label above the input identifies how the value was interpreted. If a plain numeric pair could be reversed, confirm that latitude comes first and longitude second.
- Copy the result you need. Each output has its own copy button. The precision controls change the number of displayed decimal or grid digits without claiming that the original location became more accurate.
- Verify it on the map. Click the map or drag the marker to update every format. Batch mode can process latitude and longitude columns or a single column containing complete coordinate strings.
Coordinate formats supported by this tool
Different devices, maps and GIS programs can describe the same place in different ways. These are the formats the converter recognizes or produces.
| Format | Example | What it is commonly used for |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal degrees (DD) | 40.6892, -74.0445 | GPS devices, web maps, databases and general latitude/longitude sharing. |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) | 40° 41′ 21.12″ N, 74° 2′ 40.20″ W | Traditional maps, navigation and coordinates written with compass hemispheres. |
| Degrees and decimal minutes (DDM) | 40° 41.3520′ N, 74° 2.6700′ W | Marine, aviation and handheld GPS workflows. |
| UTM | 18N 580736 4504695 | Metric grid coordinates between 80°S and 84°N, divided into longitudinal zones. |
| UPS | Z 2000000 1444543 | Universal Polar Stereographic coordinates north of 84°N and south of 80°S. |
| MGRS / USNG | 18T WL 80735 04695 | Compact alphanumeric grid references used in military, emergency and field mapping. |
| Plus Code | 87G7MXQ4+M6H | Open location codes that identify a small area without requiring a street address. |
| Geohash | dr5r7p4ry | Short hierarchical location codes used in databases, indexing and software projects. |
| Web Mercator | -8242596.04, 4966606.26 | Projected X/Y metres used by many online map tiles under EPSG:3857. |
| GeoJSON Point | {"type":"Point","coordinates":[-74.0445,40.6892]} | Web maps and GIS data exchange. GeoJSON places longitude before latitude. |
Example: decimal degrees to DMS, UTM and MGRS
The decimal coordinate 40.6892, -74.0445 identifies a point near the Statue of Liberty. On WGS 84, the same input can be displayed as 40° 41′ 21.12″ N, 74° 2′ 40.20″ W in DMS, 18N 580736 4504695 in UTM and 18T WL 80735 04695 in MGRS/USNG at one-meter grid precision.
Those strings use different coordinate systems or notations, but they refer to the same underlying location. Small differences may appear when a format represents a cell rather than an infinitely precise point, or when an output is rounded to fewer digits.
Coordinate precision is not the same as location accuracy
Adding decimal places makes a coordinate more precise on the screen, but it cannot repair an inaccurate GPS reading, an imprecise map click or a location copied from a low-resolution source. A phone may display many digits even when its real-world position uncertainty is several metres or more.
This converter uses WGS 84 for geographic latitude and longitude. UTM is returned within its normal coverage from 80°S to 84°N, while UPS is used for the polar regions beyond those limits. Web Mercator cannot represent the poles and is therefore limited near 85.0511° north and south. For legal boundaries, cadastral work or survey-grade datum transformations, use authoritative surveying data and specialist geodetic software.
Coordinate converter FAQ
What order should latitude and longitude use?
This tool expects latitude first and longitude second for ordinary coordinate pairs. Latitude ranges from −90 to 90; longitude ranges from −180 to 180. GeoJSON is the important exception because its coordinate array uses longitude first.
Can I convert decimal degrees to DMS?
Yes. Enter a pair such as 40.6892, -74.0445 and copy the DMS result. The converter also produces DDM, UTM or UPS, MGRS/USNG, Plus Code, Geohash, Web Mercator and GeoJSON outputs at the same time.
Does the converter use WGS 84?
Yes. Geographic results use WGS 84, the reference system commonly used by GPS. The tool does not claim to perform survey-grade transformations from historical or local datums that may require correction grids or coordinate epochs.
What is the difference between UTM and UPS?
UTM divides most of the world into 60 longitudinal zones. UPS uses a polar stereographic projection for the areas north of 84°N and south of 80°S, where ordinary UTM zones no longer apply.
Are my coordinates uploaded?
Single-coordinate calculations, history and batch-file conversion run in the browser. Recent history stays in local browser storage. If optional address search is enabled, only the address text you deliberately search is sent to the configured geocoding provider.
Can I convert a CSV file?
Yes. Open Batch converter, paste CSV or TSV data or select a local file, map the coordinate columns and download CSV, GeoJSON or KML. The file is processed locally and valid rows are kept even when other rows contain errors.