DMS Converter

Convert decimal degrees into degrees-minutes-seconds and back again, with radians and gradians for mapping, surveying, and coordinate entry.

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DMS converter Convert decimal degrees into degrees-minutes-seconds notation, or paste a DMS string to normalize it into decimal degrees, radians, gradians, and total arc measures.

Example inputs

Accepted formats

Use signed decimal degrees, DMS symbols, spaced values, or a direction letter at either end. Minutes and seconds must stay below 60.

Quick checkpoints

180° = π rad. 90° = 100 gon. One degree equals 60 arcminutes or 3,600 arcseconds.

Enter a value Provide a decimal degree or DMS angle to convert it across common angular formats.

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Coordinate Helper

DMS converter: decimal degrees, degrees-minutes-seconds, radians, and gradians explained

A DMS converter translates the same angle between decimal degrees and degrees-minutes-seconds notation, then shows matching radians and gradians for surveying, mapping, and coordinate-entry workflows. That matters because geographic tools often accept both formats, but they do not always expect the same separators, sign rules, or hemisphere notation.

How decimal degrees and DMS relate

Degrees-minutes-seconds notation breaks one degree into 60 arcminutes and each arcminute into 60 arcseconds. Decimal degrees keep the same angle as a single decimal number. The converter moves cleanly between the two by treating the minutes and seconds as fractional parts of one degree.

That means 40° 26′ 46″ is the same angle as about 40.446111°. The representation changes, but the underlying direction does not.

Decimal degrees = degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3,600

Converts a DMS angle into a single decimal-degree value.

1° = 60′ = 3,600″

Basic subdivision used by DMS notation.

Radians = degrees × π/180

Lets the same angle be expressed in radian-based technical work too.

Where DMS still appears in practice

Decimal degrees are common in GIS software, APIs, and spreadsheets because they are easy to store and calculate with. DMS remains common in navigation, field notes, coordinate entry screens, and legacy mapping references because it is familiar and easy to read aloud or verify against paper documents.

The biggest practical trap is format variation. Some tools want symbols such as ° ′ ″, others want space-separated values, and some NOAA workflows accept compact numeric DMS strings instead. Hemisphere letters and sign conventions also matter.

Sign, hemisphere, and coordinate-entry caveats

Latitude and longitude are not formatted identically in every workflow. Latitude uses two degree digits while longitude often uses three. West and south coordinates are negative in decimal-degree form, but many entry systems let you express that direction with hemisphere letters instead.

This converter handles the formatting math, but it does not choose a datum or coordinate reference frame for you. A position can still differ if the underlying map datum changes, even when the angle format is correct.

Further reading

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert DMS to decimal degrees manually?

Take the degree value, add the minutes divided by 60, and add the seconds divided by 3,600. If the coordinate is west or south, apply a negative sign in decimal-degree form.

 Why does longitude often use three degree digits?

Because longitude spans 0 to 180 degrees east or west, so the full value often needs three digits while latitude only spans 0 to 90 degrees.

 Can the same coordinate be correct in both DMS and decimal form?

Yes. They are just two ways to write the same angle. Problems usually come from missing hemisphere signs, separator mismatches, or entering longitude digits in the wrong format.

 Does converting angle format also change the map datum?

No. Format conversion changes only how the angle is written. Datum and reference-frame changes are separate geodetic transformations.

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