The Complete Guide to Finding Coordinates for Any Location

Finding GPS coordinates for a location is easier than most people realise — but the right method depends on what you need the coordinates for.

Google Maps (Quickest for Any Location)

Right-click any point on Google Maps and the Decimal Degrees coordinate appears at the top of the context menu. On mobile, long-press the location. Tap the coordinate to copy it. This works for any point on the map — including remote areas with no address.

Famous Landmarks

For well-known locations, our landmark coordinates directory provides coordinates for hundreds of famous sites worldwide in all seven formats simultaneously — Decimal Degrees, DMS, DDM, UTM, MGRS, Geohash, and Plus Codes. No conversion needed.

Your Current Location

On iPhone: open Maps, tap the blue dot (your location), and your coordinates appear in the details card. On Android: open Google Maps, tap the blue dot, and select "Share location" — the DD coordinate is shown. Alternatively, use a dedicated app like GPS Coordinates or CoordFinder for more format options.

Official Government Sources

For surveying, legal, or engineering work, coordinates should come from authoritative sources:

• USGS — the National Map viewer provides coordinates for US locations
• OS (UK) — Ordnance Survey provides precise OSGB36 coordinates convertible to WGS84
• Cadastral records — property boundary coordinates are held by county assessors or land registry offices

Converting to the Format You Need

Once you have a coordinate from any source, our converter translates it to any format in one step. Common conversions: DD to UTM for topo maps, DD to DMS for paper charts, or DD to MGRS for military use.