EPSG:2227 · Americas
California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) to KML & KMZ
Convert California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) eastings and northings to latitude and longitude, and save them as a Google Earth KML or KMZ. Try a single point here, or convert a whole spreadsheet in the web app.
- Converter already set to EPSG:2227
- Datum shift to WGS 84 applied automatically
- Whole sheets with photos and boundaries in the web or Windows app
About California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft)
California State Plane Coordinate System zone 3 is a Lambert conformal conic grid on NAD83, in US survey feet. NAD83 is treated as WGS 84 here, which is good to about a metre or two.
Where it's used: The San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland, San José) and the central coast and Sierra counties of zone 3.
Convert a whole spreadsheet
- Open the web app or the Windows app, and paste your rows from Excel or open a CSV file.
- Under Coordinate system, search for “2227” and pick NAD83 / California zone 3 (ftUS).
- Check one point you know on the map, then press Save KML or Save KMZ (with photos) and open it in Google Earth.
This grid is in US survey feet. Enter coordinates in those units, not metres.
Check points for California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft)
Five points inside the area of use of California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft), with their latitude and longitude on WGS 84 and their easting and northing in this grid (US survey feet). Enter an easting and northing in the converter above: you should get the latitude and longitude shown, to a few centimetres.
| Point | Latitude | Longitude | Easting | Northing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle of the area of use | 37.72000° N | 120.42500° W | 6,583,359.32 | 2,084,639.06 |
| Towards the north-west | 38.31400° N | 121.98200° W | 6,136,462.86 | 2,304,297.37 |
| Towards the north-east | 38.31400° N | 118.86800° W | 7,029,903.14 | 2,305,013.38 |
| Towards the south-west | 37.12600° N | 121.98200° W | 6,129,612.87 | 1,871,771.86 |
| Towards the south-east | 37.12600° N | 118.86800° W | 7,037,446.38 | 1,872,499.40 |
Common mistakes with California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft)
- Easting and northing swapped. In California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) the middle of the grid is near easting 6,583,359.32 and northing 2,084,639.06. If your easting column holds numbers like 2,084,639.06, the columns are the wrong way round and every point lands far away: swap them before converting.
- Metres entered as feet. California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) is in US survey feet. Enter the values as they are; converting them to metres first puts every point in the wrong place.
- Forgetting the datum. California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) is not on WGS 84: treated as WGS 84, no shift (the datums agree to about a metre or better). Picking a WGS 84 grid with the same projection instead leaves the points off by that amount.
- Points outside the grid's area. California State Plane Zone 3 (US ft) is meant for United States (USA) - California - counties Alameda; Calaveras; Contra Costa; Madera; Marin; Mariposa; Merced; Mono; San Francisco; San Joaquin; San Mateo; Santa Clara; Santa Cruz; Stanislaus; Tuolumne. Points well outside that area convert with growing error; the converter flags them so you can choose the right grid.
- A local site grid. If every point is off by the same distance and direction, the drawing may be on a local site grid. Calibrate on three or more known control points instead.
Before you rely on it
Check the units: the same zone also exists in metres (EPSG 26943). Feet entered as metres put points hundreds of kilometres away. Always check one known control point before sending a file out.