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DMS

General

Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

A traditional coordinate notation splitting an angular measurement into whole degrees, minutes, and seconds, still used in surveying, aviation, and nautical navigation.

Definition

DMS (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds) is a coordinate notation that splits an angular measurement — latitude or longitude — into three components: whole degrees, minutes (1/60th of a degree), and seconds (1/60th of a minute), plus a hemisphere direction. It predates decimal degree notation and remains standard in surveying, aviation, and nautical navigation contexts.

The Coordinates Converter converts bidirectionally between DMS and decimal degrees for both latitude and longitude.

Formula

Decimal Degrees → DMS:

  • Degrees = whole-number part of the decimal value
  • Minutes = whole-number part of (remaining decimal fraction × 60)
  • Seconds = (remaining fraction after minutes) × 60

DMS → Decimal Degrees:

Decimal Degrees = Degrees + (Minutes ÷ 60) + (Seconds ÷ 3600), negated if the hemisphere is S or W.

Worked Example

Converting 28.6139° (decimal degrees) 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

Key Things to Know

  • Hemisphere letter replaces the sign: DMS uses N/S/E/W instead of a positive or negative decimal value.
  • Seconds precision affects real-world accuracy: one second of arc ≈ 30 metres at the equator, so precision matters for exact positioning.
  • Different from 'degrees and decimal minutes': some GPS devices display a hybrid format (whole degrees + decimal minutes) that's distinct from full DMS with separate seconds.
  • Still standard in specific fields: aviation charts, nautical navigation, and legal land surveys commonly use DMS even though consumer GPS defaults to decimal degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions

DMS predates GPS and digital mapping, originating from angular measurement conventions in astronomy and navigation, and many official survey, aviation, and maritime standards have continued using it for consistency with historical records and international conventions.
The hemisphere letter replaces the negative sign used in decimal degree notation — N or S for latitude (north or south of the equator), E or W for longitude (east or west of the prime meridian).
One second of arc corresponds to roughly 30 metres of distance at the equator, so seconds are usually given to one or two decimal places for typical navigation or mapping precision.
Add the minutes divided by 60 and the seconds divided by 3600 to the whole-number degrees, then apply a negative sign if the hemisphere is S or W. The [Coordinates Converter](/coordinates-converter/) does this instantly and bidirectionally.
Most modern GPS devices and mapping apps like Google Maps use decimal degrees by default, while DMS remains more common in survey documents, nautical charts, and aviation references.