Degrees to Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS)

GPS devices, spreadsheets and mapping APIs usually store coordinates as decimal degrees (e.g. 45.5042°), but nautical charts, surveying documents and older map grids state position in degrees, minutes and seconds (DMS) — the same base-60 subdivision a clock uses. This tool converts a decimal degree value into that DMS format.

The whole number part stays as degrees. Multiply the decimal remainder by 60 to get minutes; take the decimal remainder of that and multiply by 60 again to get seconds.

Worked example

45.5042°: the whole part is 45°. 0.5042 × 60 = 30.252′, so minutes = 30 and the remainder is 0.252. 0.252 × 60 = 15.12″. Result: 45° 30′ 15.12″.

Where this comes up

• Converting a GPS or Google Maps coordinate into the DMS format used on nautical charts and in aviation
• Entering coordinates into older GIS software or land survey documents that expect DMS
• Astronomy — right ascension and declination are conventionally written in this format