EPSG:21781 · Liechtenstein
CH1903 / LV03 to KML & KMZ
CH1903 / LV03 (EPSG:21781) is a Swiss Oblique Mercator coordinate system on the CH1903 datum, with coordinates in metres. Its official area of use is: Liechtenstein; Switzerland.
- Converter already set to EPSG:21781
- Latitude and longitude on WGS 84, as Google Earth uses
- Download the point as KML
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Good to know
- Datum: Published 3-parameter shift (typically a few metres).
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 “21781” and pick CH1903 / LV03.
- Check one point you know on the map, then press Save KML or Save KMZ and open it in Google Earth.
Check points for EPSG:21781
Five points inside the area of use of CH1903 / LV03, with their latitude and longitude on WGS 84 and their easting and northing in this grid (metres). 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 | 46.81500° N | 8.22500° E | 660,013.54 | 185,171.98 |
| Towards the north-west | 47.41200° N | 6.86600° E | 556,783.07 | 251,401.49 |
| Towards the north-east | 47.41200° N | 9.58400° E | 761,896.58 | 253,456.26 |
| Towards the south-west | 46.21800° N | 6.86600° E | 555,811.98 | 118,667.56 |
| Towards the south-east | 46.21800° N | 9.58400° E | 765,526.34 | 120,768.56 |
Common mistakes with CH1903 / LV03
- Easting and northing swapped. In CH1903 / LV03 the middle of the grid is near easting 660,013.54 and northing 185,171.98. If your easting column holds numbers like 185,171.98, the columns are the wrong way round and every point lands far away: swap them before converting.
- Feet entered as metres. CH1903 / LV03 is in metres. Coordinates copied from a drawing in feet must be converted first, or every point moves outwards from the grid's origin.
- Forgetting the datum. CH1903 / LV03 is not on WGS 84: published 3-parameter shift (typically a few metres). Picking a WGS 84 grid with the same projection instead leaves the points off by that amount.
- Points outside the grid's area. CH1903 / LV03 is meant for Liechtenstein; Switzerland. 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.
New to this? Read how to convert easting and northing to latitude and longitude.