DMS Coordinates Explained: How to Read Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Before GPS apps and Google Maps, navigators described locations using Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds — a format that divides each degree of latitude or longitude into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds. Understanding DMS coordinates is still essential for anyone working with paper maps, legal land descriptions, or classic GPS hardware.

Anatomy of a DMS Coordinate

A DMS coordinate looks like this: 48°51′30.24″N 2°17′40.20″E

Breaking it down:

• 48° — 48 whole degrees of latitude
• 51′ — 51 minutes (each degree = 60 minutes)
• 30.24″ — 30.24 seconds (each minute = 60 seconds)
• N — North of the equator

The same applies to the longitude component, with E/W instead of N/S.

Converting DMS to Decimal Degrees

The formula is: DD = Degrees + (Minutes ÷ 60) + (Seconds ÷ 3600)

For the example above: 48 + (51 ÷ 60) + (30.24 ÷ 3600) = 48.8584°

A complete walkthrough with worked examples is in our DMS to Decimal Degrees guide. To go the other direction, see Decimal Degrees to DMS.

Where DMS Is Still Used

DMS remains the standard in several professional contexts:

• USGS topo maps show latitude and longitude in DMS in the margins
• Legal descriptions of property boundaries often use DMS
• Aviation charts use DMS for some notations (though DDM is more common for waypoints)
• Many handheld GPS devices default to DMS display

DMS vs DDM: What's the Difference?

DDM (Degrees Decimal Minutes) drops the seconds and instead uses a decimal on the minutes: 48°51.504′N. This is the format preferred in aviation and marine navigation. Our converter handles both, along with UTM, MGRS, Geohash, and Plus Codes simultaneously.