The 4 Most Common GPS Formats
Depending on who gave you the coordinates (a surveyor, a hiker, or Google Maps), you might see completely different letters and numbers. Here are the clear examples.
1. Decimal Degrees (DD)
This is the standard format used by Google Maps, Apple Maps, and most smartphone apps. It uses positive and negative numbers instead of North/South/East/West letters.
Rule: Latitude is always first. Positive is North, negative is South. Longitude is second. Positive is East, negative is West.
2. Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS)
This is the traditional, nautical format. It breaks coordinates down like a clock (60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in a degree).
3. UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator)
UTM is heavily used by land surveyors and engineers because it measures everything in meters instead of degrees. It divides the Earth into 60 zones.
4. MGRS (Military Grid Reference System)
Used by NATO, search and rescue, and the military. It breaks the UTM zones down further using letters for 100,000-meter squares.
Are Your Coordinates Accurate?
Just having the correct format isn't enough. If your GPS device is set to the wrong "Datum" (like NAD27 instead of WGS84), your point could be 100 meters off.