What is the difference between DD and DMS?

Decimal Degrees (DD) express coordinates as a single decimal number (e.g. 40.7128). Degrees-Minutes-Seconds (DMS) breaks that into three parts: degrees, arc-minutes, and arc-seconds (e.g. 40° 42' 46.08" N). Both represent the same location.

DDM stands for Degrees Decimal Minutes. It keeps whole degrees and expresses the sub-degree portion as decimal minutes (e.g. 40° 42.768' N). It is commonly used in marine navigation and handheld GPS units.

How do negative coordinates work?

In Decimal Degrees, negative latitude means South of the equator and negative longitude means West of the prime meridian. The converter automatically adds the S or W hemisphere label.

Is the conversion done on my device?

Yes. All calculations run in your browser. No data is sent to any server.

How accurate is the conversion?

The result is accurate to 4 decimal places for seconds, which corresponds to roughly 0.3 mm on the ground — far beyond practical GPS accuracy.

Decimal to DMS Converter

Name: Decimal to DMS Converter
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Convert geographic coordinates between Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees-Minutes-Seconds (DMS), and Degrees Decimal Minutes (DDM) formats — with a Google Maps link.

Decimal Degrees Input

Latitude (DD)

Longitude (DD)

Enter coordinates on the left and click Convert to see the result

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Summary

Convert geographic coordinates between Decimal Degrees (DD), Degrees-Minutes-Seconds (DMS), and Degrees Decimal Minutes (DDM) formats — with a Google Maps link.

How it works

Enter latitude and longitude in Decimal Degrees (e.g. 40.7128, -74.0060).
The tool converts each value using the formula: degrees = floor(|dd|), minutes = floor((|dd| - degrees) * 60), seconds = ((|dd| - degrees) * 60 - minutes) * 60.
Negative latitude becomes S (South); negative longitude becomes W (West).
DDM format keeps degrees whole and expresses the remainder as decimal minutes.
Switch to DMS-to-DD mode to go in reverse.
Click the Google Maps link to open the coordinates on the map.

Use cases

Convert GPS coordinates for navigation or mapping software.
Translate survey data from DD to DMS for official documents.
Verify coordinate formats before entering them into GIS systems.
Share a precise Google Maps link for any lat/lng pair.
Cross-check coordinates from astronomy, drone, or hiking apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-24 · Reviewed by Nham Vu