Convert GPS coordinates between formats
One device reports 35.681236, another wants 35° 40′ 52″ N. Convert latitude and longitude both ways.
Tools used in this guide
The job
A map pin gives decimal degrees; a chart, survey, or older GPS wants degrees-minutes-seconds. Converting by hand (multiply the fraction by 60, twice) is error-prone, so the converter does both directions and labels the hemisphere.
How to do it
Pick the direction — decimal to DMS or DMS to decimal. For decimal input, south latitudes and west longitudes are negative numbers. For DMS input, enter degrees, minutes, and seconds and choose the hemisphere letter. The result shows both formats for latitude and longitude.
Worked example
Tokyo Station at 35.681236, 139.767125 becomes 35° 40′ 52.45″ N, 139° 46′ 1.65″ E. Paste the decimal pair straight into a map search; the DMS form suits paper charts and official forms.
Limits
Decimal output is 6 places — about 0.11 m at the equator — and seconds carry 2 decimals. This converts notation only, not the geodetic datum: WGS84 and the older Tokyo datum describe the same point with different numbers.