Latitude and longitude explained
Every place on Earth can be pinpointed with two numbers: its latitude (north–south position) and longitude (east–west position). Here is how they work, how to write them, and a converter between the two common formats.
Latitude
Latitude measures how far north or south of the equator a place is, from 0° at the equator to 90° at the North and South Poles. Lines of latitude (parallels) run east–west and are evenly spaced: one degree of latitude is about 111 km (69 miles) everywhere. Northern latitudes are written with N or as positive numbers, southern ones with S or as negative numbers.
Longitude
Longitude measures how far east or west of the prime meridian (through Greenwich, London) a place is, from 0° to 180° east or west. Lines of longitude (meridians) meet at the poles, so the distance covered by one degree shrinks from about 111 km at the equator to zero at the poles — roughly 111 km × cos(latitude). East is written with E or as a positive number, west with W or a negative number.
Decimal degrees vs degrees, minutes and seconds
Coordinates are written either in decimal degrees (DD), such as 48.8534, 2.3488 for Paris, or in degrees,
minutes and seconds (DMS), such as 48°51′12″N 2°20′56″E. One degree has 60 minutes and one minute has 60 seconds.
Decimal degrees are used by GPS devices, Google Maps and OpenStreetMap; the convention is latitude first, then longitude.
Precision: 4 decimal places locate a point to about 11 m, 5 decimals to about 1 m.
Coordinate converter
Edit either field; the other updates automatically. DMS input like 40°42′46″N 74°0′22″W or 40 42 46 N, 74 0 22 W is accepted.
Coordinates of well-known cities
| City | Latitude | Longitude | DMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 51.5085 | -0.1257 | 51°30′31″N, 0°07′33″W |
| New York City | 40.7143 | -74.0060 | 40°42′51″N, 74°00′21″W |
| Tokyo | 35.6895 | 139.6917 | 35°41′22″N, 139°41′30″E |
| Sydney | -33.8678 | 151.2073 | 33°52′04″S, 151°12′26″E |
| Rio de Janeiro | -22.9064 | -43.1822 | 22°54′23″S, 43°10′56″W |
| Cape Town | -33.9258 | 18.4232 | 33°55′33″S, 18°25′24″E |
| Singapore | 1.2897 | 103.8501 | 1°17′23″N, 103°51′00″E |
| Quito | -0.2298 | -78.5250 | 0°13′47″S, 78°31′30″W |
| Reykjavík | 64.1355 | -21.8954 | 64°08′08″N, 21°53′43″W |
| Honolulu | 21.3069 | -157.8583 | 21°18′25″N, 157°51′30″W |
To find the coordinates of any other place, search for the city — every city page lists its coordinates in both formats.
Special lines of latitude
- Equator (0°): divides the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
- Tropic of Cancer (about 23.44°N) and Tropic of Capricorn (about 23.44°S): the furthest points where the sun can be directly overhead.
- Arctic Circle (about 66.56°N) and Antarctic Circle (about 66.56°S): beyond them the sun stays up for at least one full day in summer and below the horizon for at least one day in winter.