Convert Coordinates

Q: What are the most common coordinate formats?

The most common coordinate formats are: Decimal Degrees (DD) used by Google Maps and GPS devices, Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS) used in aviation and nautical charts, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) used in surveying and GIS, Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) used by NATO forces, and Google Plus Codes (Open Location Codes) designed for areas without street addresses.

Q: Which coordinate format should I use?

It depends on your application. Use Decimal Degrees for web maps and GPS devices, DMS for aviation or nautical navigation, UTM for surveying and engineering, MGRS for military operations, and Plus Codes for sharing locations in areas without formal addresses. Most online services expect Decimal Degrees.

Q: How accurate is online coordinate conversion?

Coordinate conversions between formats like DD, DMS, UTM, and MGRS are mathematically exact transformations - no precision is lost. The accuracy of the output depends entirely on the precision of your input. This converter supports 4 to 10 decimal places of output precision.

Convert between all major coordinate formats instantly - Decimal Degrees, DMS, UTM, MGRS, and Plus Code.

Paste anything. Get every format.

DD, DMS, UTM, MGRS, Plus Code, UN/LOCODE - converted instantly.

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Understanding coordinate formats

The main coordinate formats are DD (Decimal Degrees), DMS (Degrees Minutes Seconds), UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator), MGRS (Military Grid Reference System), and Plus Codes (Open Location Codes). Each is optimized for a specific domain - web maps, aviation, surveying, military, or offline addressing.

Format comparison

The table below shows how the same location (London, 51.5074°N, 0.1278°W) is represented in each format:

Format	Example	Primary Use	Units
Decimal Degrees	`51.5074, -0.1278`	Web maps, GPS, APIs	Degrees
DMS	`51°30'26.6"N 0°7'40.1"W`	Aviation, nautical charts	Degrees/Min/Sec
UTM	`30U 699375 5710148`	Surveying, GIS, engineering	Meters
MGRS	`30UXC9937510148`	NATO military operations	Grid reference
Plus Code	`9C3XGV4C+HQ`	Offline addressing, sharing	Alphanumeric code
UN/LOCODE	`GBLON`	Trade, shipping, logistics	Location identifier

Which coordinate format should I use?

Decimal Degrees (DD) - the universal interchange format. Use it for web mapping APIs (Google Maps, Leaflet, Mapbox), database storage, and any programmatic context
DMS - required by ICAO for flight plans, standard on nautical charts, and used in legal land descriptions in many jurisdictions
UTM - preferred when you need metric measurements. Distance between two UTM points in the same zone is a simple Pythagorean calculation
MGRS - the NATO standard for ground operations. Compact, variable-precision, and designed for reliable verbal communication over radio
Plus Codes - best for sharing locations with non-technical users or in regions without formal street addresses
UN/LOCODE - the international standard for trade and transport locations. Used in bills of lading, customs declarations, and supply chain software

How accurate is coordinate conversion?

Coordinate conversions between DD, DMS, UTM, and MGRS are mathematically exact - no precision is lost. The accuracy of the output depends entirely on the precision of your input. Plus Code conversion introduces a small quantization error bounded by the code's grid cell size (roughly 14m x 14m at 10-character precision).

Precision equivalence (approximate) 1° latitude ≈ 111,320m 0.000001° ≈ 0.11m (6 decimal places ≈ 11cm) 1m UTM ≈ 0.00001° latitude MGRS 10-digit ≈ 1m ≈ 0.00001°

UN/LOCODE support

Beyond coordinate formats, this converter supports UN/LOCODE - paste any five-character code (e.g. GBLON for London) and retrieve coordinates in every format, plus timezone, UTC offset, local time, elevation, and the nearest neighbouring UN/LOCODEs. You can also paste any coordinate and discover the closest trade locations to that position.

Why do you need a coordinate converter?

In practice, format mismatches are constant. A surveyor delivers UTM coordinates that your web app needs in decimal degrees. A maritime chart uses DMS that your routing engine expects as DD. A military after-action report contains MGRS references you need to plot on Google Maps. This converter handles all these transformations in one place - paste any format and get every other format in return, with adjustable precision from 4 to 10 decimal places.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common coordinate formats?

The most common formats are Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS), Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Military Grid Reference System (MGRS), and Google Plus Codes (Open Location Codes). Each is designed for different use cases - from web maps to military operations.

Which coordinate format should I use?

Use Decimal Degrees for web maps and GPS devices, DMS for aviation or nautical navigation, UTM for surveying and engineering, MGRS for military operations, and Plus Codes for sharing locations in areas without formal addresses.

How accurate is online coordinate conversion?

Coordinate conversions between DD, DMS, UTM, and MGRS are mathematically exact transformations - no precision is lost. The accuracy of the output depends entirely on the precision of your input. This converter supports 4 to 10 decimal places of output precision.

Can I convert coordinates in bulk?

This web converter handles one coordinate at a time for instant results. For bulk conversions, Unlocoder offers a REST API that you can integrate into your applications.