GPS Coordinates
Tap Use my location, search for an address or tap the map to get the GPS coordinates of any point. You get latitude and longitude in decimal degrees and DMS, ready to copy, plus decimal minutes.
Use your location, search for a place or tap the map to see its coordinates.
Tap the map or drag the pin to get the coordinates of any point.
How to read the numbers
Latitude tells how far north or south of the equator a point is, from -90° to 90°. Longitude tells how far east or west of the Greenwich meridian it is, from -180° to 180°. Negative latitude means south and negative longitude means west, so New York is at about 40.7128, -74.0060.
| Format | Example | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal degrees (DD) | 40.712800, -74.006000 | Online maps, phones, spreadsheets |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) | 40°42′46.1″N 74°00′21.6″W | Paper maps, aviation, surveying |
| Degrees and decimal minutes (DDM) | 40°42.768′N 74°00.360′W | Marine charts, geocaching, GPS units |
The search box reads all three formats. Paste a pair such as 40°42′46.1″N 74°00′21.6″W and tap Look up to see it on the map. Drag the pin to adjust the spot; the numbers update when you drop it.
Address searches go to a search service, and so does the point when you tap Show address of this point.
How precise are the numbers?
Each decimal place makes a value about ten times more precise. More digits don't make your phone more accurate, though:
| Decimal places | Precision at the equator |
|---|---|
| 2 | About 0.7 mi (1.1 km) |
| 3 | About 360 ft (110 m) |
| 4 | About 36 ft (11 m) |
| 5 | About 3.6 ft (1.1 m) |
| 6 | About 4 in (11 cm) |
Everything here uses WGS84, the same reference system as GPS and online maps, so a copied pair pastes straight into any map. Your own position is only as good as your device:
- Phone outdoors: usually within about 16 ft (5 m) under open sky, so five decimal places already say more than the fix can.
- Indoors or on a laptop with Wi-Fi: roughly 65–330 ft (20–100 m), so the fourth decimal is likely off and the third may be.
- Computer without Wi-Fi location: often a few miles (several km) off, sometimes in another city.
The ± accuracy under your decimal value is a radius at 95% confidence. Your real spot is very likely inside the circle on the map.
If the point lands in the wrong place
- Check the order. Latitude comes first, and swapping the two can put a point on another continent.
- Check the signs. Without the minus sign, 40.7128, 74.006 lands in Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia, instead of New York.
- Check the format. Reading 40°42′ as 40.42 moves a point about 19 mi (31 km), because minutes are sixtieths of a degree.
- Check the source map. Old paper maps may use a local datum shifted by up to several hundred yards. Japan's old Tokyo Datum differs from WGS84 by about 1,300 ft (400 m).
- If your own position is off, go outdoors and wait 10–20 seconds, then tap Use my location again. Accuracy usually improves as the phone finds more satellites.
- To switch between formats, use the coordinate converter.
Frequently asked questions
What are my GPS coordinates?
Tap Use my location and allow access. Your latitude and longitude appear in decimal degrees and DMS, with a button to copy them.
How do I find the coordinates of an address?
Type the address in the search box, tap Look up and pick it from the results. The pin moves there and the coordinates update.
Which comes first, latitude or longitude?
Latitude first, then longitude: 40.7128, -74.0060. Most maps and GPS devices expect this order.
How do I enter coordinates in Google Maps?
Paste decimal coordinates such as 40.7128, -74.0060 into the search box and press Enter. Google Maps accepts DMS too.
How many decimal places do I need?
Five decimal places are about 3.6 ft (1.1 m), more than enough to find a place. The tool shows six so a typed or tapped point stays where you put it, but phone GPS can't deliver that precision.