Coordinates Converter — Decimal Degrees & DMS
ScienceConvert GPS coordinates between decimal degrees (DD) and degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS) format for latitude and longitude, instantly and accurately.
Latitude
DMS
28° 36' 50.04" N
Longitude
DMS
77° 12' 32.40" E
Edit either the decimal degrees field or the degree/minute/second/hemisphere fields — both stay in sync automatically.
What is a Coordinates?
The Coordinates Converter converts geographic coordinates between decimal degrees (DD) and degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS) format for both latitude and longitude. Every point on Earth can be described by these two angular measurements, but they show up in two different notations depending on the source: decimal degrees (like 28.6139° N) is what most modern GPS devices, smartphones, and mapping software use, while DMS (like 28° 36' 50.04" N) is the traditional notation still common in surveying, aviation, and nautical navigation.
Enter a coordinate in either format and this tool keeps both notations in sync automatically, for both latitude and longitude simultaneously. For angle conversions outside a geographic context, see the general Angle Converter.
How to use this Coordinates calculator
- Enter a Decimal Degrees value for Latitude, or edit the Deg / Min / Sec / Hemisphere fields directly.
- Watch the corresponding DMS or decimal value update automatically.
- Repeat for the Longitude row below it.
- Use the Hemisphere dropdown to correctly set N/S for latitude or E/W for longitude.
- Click Copy next to either DMS output box to copy the formatted coordinate string.
- Read the combined pair of values for use in mapping software, GPS devices, or survey documents.
Formula & Methodology
Decimal Degrees → DMS: - Degrees = the whole-number part of the decimal value - Minutes = the decimal remainder × 60, whole-number part - Seconds = the remainder of that × 60 - Hemisphere = N/E if the original value is positive, S/W if negative DMS → Decimal Degrees: Decimal Degrees = Degrees + (Minutes ÷ 60) + (Seconds ÷ 3600), negated if the hemisphere is S or W. Worked example — converting New Delhi's latitude, 28.6139° N, to DMS: - Degrees = 28 - Remaining 0.6139 × 60 = 36.834 → Minutes = 36 - Remaining 0.834 × 60 = 50.04 → Seconds = 50.04 Result: 28° 36' 50.04" N, confirmed by converting back: 28 + 36/60 + 50.04/3600 = 28 + 0.6 + 0.0139 = 28.6139° — matching the original input exactly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Decimal degrees (DD) express a coordinate as a single number with a decimal fraction, like 28.6139° N, while DMS (degrees, minutes, seconds) splits that same value into whole degrees, minutes, and seconds, like 28° 36' 50.04" N. Both represent the exact same location — they're just two different notations, similar to how 1.5 hours and 1 hour 30 minutes describe the same duration.
Enter your decimal degree value in the Latitude or Longitude field, and the converter instantly calculates the equivalent degrees, minutes, and seconds. The whole number portion becomes degrees, the decimal fraction is multiplied by 60 to get minutes, and the remaining fraction is multiplied by 60 again to get seconds.
Enter values in the Deg, Min, Sec, and Hemisphere fields, and the Decimal Degrees field updates automatically to show the equivalent single-number coordinate. This is the formula GPS devices and mapping software use internally, since most digital maps store coordinates in decimal degrees.
The hemisphere letter indicates which side of the equator (N for North, S for South) or which side of the prime meridian (E for East, W for West) a coordinate falls on, since latitude and longitude are always positive magnitudes in DMS notation with the hemisphere carrying the sign information. In decimal degrees, this is instead represented by a negative sign — for example, 33.8688° S is written as -33.8688 in decimal form.
Latitude ranges from -90° (South Pole) to +90° (North Pole) because it measures angular distance from the equator toward either pole, while longitude ranges from -180° to +180° because it measures angular distance around the full circumference of the Earth from the prime meridian. This converter enforces those ranges automatically.
Most consumer GPS devices, smartphones, and mapping platforms like Google Maps display and accept decimal degrees by default (e.g. typing '28.6139, 77.2090' into a search bar), even though older navigation, surveying, and aviation contexts still commonly use DMS. This converter helps translate between the two whenever a source (like a survey document or nautical chart) only provides one format.
Each decimal place in decimal degrees roughly corresponds to a smaller area on the ground — four decimal places (like 28.6139) narrows a location to about 11 metres, while six decimal places narrows it to about 11 centimetres. In DMS, one second of arc corresponds to roughly 30 metres at the equator, so seconds are usually given to one or two decimal places for similar precision.
New Delhi's approximate coordinate of 28.6139° N converts to DMS by taking the whole degree (28), then multiplying the remaining 0.6139 by 60 to get 36.834 minutes, then multiplying the remaining 0.834 by 60 to get 50.04 seconds — giving 28° 36' 50.04" N. This is the default example loaded in the converter above.
Yes — the converter includes separate rows for latitude and longitude, and both convert simultaneously as you type, so you can work with a complete coordinate pair (like from a GPS device or survey document) without switching between two separate tools.
The Hemisphere dropdown only offers the two valid options for each field (N/S for latitude, E/W for longitude), and selecting one automatically applies the correct positive or negative sign to the decimal degrees value. This prevents the common error of pairing, say, a positive decimal value with a 'S' hemisphere label, which would represent contradictory information.
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