What Are GPS Coordinates? A Beginner's Complete Guide

Every point on Earth can be described with just two numbers: a latitude and a longitude. Together, these form a GPS coordinate — a universal address that works anywhere on the planet, from the summit of Everest to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

What Do the Numbers Mean?

Latitude measures how far north or south you are from the equator. It runs from −90° (South Pole) to +90° (North Pole). Longitude measures how far east or west you are from the prime meridian, running from −180° to +180°.

A coordinate like 48.8584, 2.2945 means 48.8584 degrees north of the equator and 2.2945 degrees east of the prime meridian — the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Why Are There So Many Formats?

Latitude and longitude can be written several ways. The most common formats are:

• Decimal Degrees (DD) — the format used by Google Maps, web APIs, and most modern apps. Example: 48.8584, 2.2945
• Degrees Minutes Seconds (DMS) — the traditional format used on paper maps and older GPS devices. Example: 48°51′30″N 2°17′40″E
• Degrees Decimal Minutes (DDM) — the aviation and marine standard. Example: 48°51.504′N 2°17.670′E
• UTM — a grid-based system used on topo maps and by surveyors. Example: 31U 448251 5411943
• MGRS — the military grid system used by NATO forces. Example: 31UDQ4825111943

Each format encodes the same location — they just express it differently. Our free coordinate converter lets you paste any format and instantly see all the others.

How Precise Are GPS Coordinates?

The number of decimal places matters enormously. In Decimal Degrees:

• 1 decimal place ≈ 11 km
• 3 decimal places ≈ 111 m
• 5 decimal places ≈ 1 m
• 6 decimal places ≈ 10 cm

For most everyday navigation, 4–5 decimal places is more than enough. Surveying and precision engineering typically require 6 or more.

How to Use GPS Coordinates

To navigate to a coordinate in Google Maps, simply type it into the search bar: 48.8584, 2.2945. For other apps and devices, the format they accept may differ — a Garmin GPS defaults to DDM, while aviation apps like ForeFlight use DDM as well. Use our converter to switch between formats instantly.

Need to look up coordinates for a specific landmark? Browse our famous landmarks directory for coordinates in all seven formats for hundreds of locations worldwide.