Free tool · Coordinates

DMS to Decimal Degrees Converter (and Back)

Turn 25°11'35.1"N into 25.193083 — and back — for one point or a whole column pasted from Excel.

Free · no sign-up · works in your browser, on phone and computer

Example · Karachi, from a survey document

Typed
24°51'36.2"N 67°00'36.4"E
Decimal degrees
24.860056, 67.010111
GPS style
24°51.603' N 67°00.607' E

What it does

  • Both directions

    Type either form and get the other: decimal degrees, DMS and GPS-style degrees and decimal minutes.

  • Reads what you have

    25°11'35"N, 25 11 35 N, N 25°11.585', 25d11m35s or plain decimals — with N, S, E, W or a minus sign.

  • Whole lists

    Paste up to 5,000 lines straight from Excel; lines it can't read are marked, not silently dropped.

  • Copy back out

    Copy the results as decimal or DMS columns, ready to paste back into a spreadsheet.

How to use it

  1. 1

    Press Use the tool.

  2. 2

    Type a latitude and longitude — or switch to A list and paste a column from Excel.

  3. 3

    Copy the converted values.

Who it's for

  • Surveyors and engineers mixing GPS readings with drawings
  • GIS users cleaning coordinate columns before importing them
  • Anyone with coordinates from a document that a map won't accept

How the conversion works

Decimal degrees = degrees + minutes ÷ 60 + seconds ÷ 3600. South latitudes and west longitudes are negative. For example, 25°11'35.1"N is 25 + 11/60 + 35.1/3600 = 25.193083.

What you can type

  • Decimal degrees: 25.193080, -33.8688
  • Degrees, minutes, seconds: 25°11'35.1"N, 25 11 35.1 N, N 25°11'35.1", 25d11m35.1s
  • Degrees and decimal minutes (GPS style): 25°11.585'N

In a list, put one point per line: latitude then longitude, separated by a tab (straight from Excel), a comma and space, a semicolon, or just the N/S and E/W letters.

How many decimals?

Six decimal places of a degree is about 0.1 m on the ground; eight is about a millimetre. Keep at least six for survey work. The guide DMS to decimal degrees in Excel has formulas for doing it inside a spreadsheet.

Questions

How do I convert DMS to decimal degrees by hand?

Decimal degrees = degrees + minutes ÷ 60 + seconds ÷ 3600, negative for south and west. 25°11'35.1"N = 25 + 11/60 + 35.1/3600 = 25.193083.

How many decimal places should I keep?

Six decimal places of a degree is about 0.1 m on the ground, eight about a millimetre. Keep at least six for survey work.

Why does my map put the point in the wrong hemisphere?

South latitudes and west longitudes must be negative in decimal degrees. The tool applies the S and W letters for you.

Can I do this inside Excel?

Yes — the guide 'DMS to decimal degrees in Excel' has formulas for both separate columns and text values.

Use the tool

More free tools

Got a whole sheet of points?

Open the web app in your browser, or install the Windows app to work offline with no point limit. Both are free.