GPS Format
Decimal Degrees (DD)
Decimal Degrees (DD) is the simplest and most common way to express GPS coordinates. Latitude and longitude are written as positive or negative decimal numbers.
North and east are positive; south and west are negative. Each additional decimal place increases precision — 4 decimals locates a building, 6 decimals locates within a single floor.
Example
-37.8136, 144.9631
Where Decimal Degrees is used
- Default format for Google Maps, Apple Maps, Mapbox, and most map APIs
- Smartphone GPS apps and location services
- CSV files, open data, and developer tools
- Scientific publications and research data
Other coordinate formats
Same location in other formats: