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Degrees minutes seconds calculator icon showing a protractor

Degrees Minutes Seconds Calculator

Degrees Minutes Seconds Calculator

Convert decimal degrees ↔ DMS

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An angle can be expressed in decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7484°) or split into degrees, minutes and seconds (e.g. 40° 44' 54.2"), where 1 degree = 60 minutes and 1 minute = 60 seconds.

Enter a value in either format below and the other updates automatically.

Decimal Degrees
Degrees / Minutes / Seconds
📏 Your Result
DMS
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Enter a value above to convert
📏
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Decimal Degrees
🗺️
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DMS
Calculation
1 degree = 60 minutes = 3,600 seconds of arc.

Angles and coordinates show up in both decimal degree and DMS notation depending on the source, this calculator converts between the two instantly.

How to use this degrees minutes seconds calculator

  1. Enter a value in the Decimal Degrees field to see the equivalent in DMS.
  2. Or enter Degrees, Minutes, and Seconds separately to see the equivalent in decimal degrees, either format updates the other automatically.

What this calculator does

An angle can be expressed in decimal degrees (e.g. 40.7484°) or split into degrees, minutes, and seconds (e.g. 40° 44′ 54.2″), where 1 degree equals 60 minutes and 1 minute equals 60 seconds, the same subdivision pattern used for time.

Decimal Degrees = Degrees + (Minutes ÷ 60) + (Seconds ÷ 3600)
Minutes = (Decimal Degrees − Degrees) × 60
Seconds = (Minutes remainder) × 60

Where each format is commonly used

Decimal degrees are the format GPS devices and mapping software use internally and display by default, being a single number that’s straightforward for software to process. DMS remains the traditional format in classical navigation, surveying, and astronomy, and is still commonly printed on maps, in older records, and in certain legal property descriptions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert decimal degrees to DMS?

The whole number part is the degrees. Multiply the decimal remainder by 60 to get minutes, then take that result’s decimal remainder and multiply by 60 again to get seconds.

Why do minutes and seconds go up to 60, like time?

DMS angle notation borrows the same base-60 (sexagesimal) subdivision system used for time, both trace back to ancient Babylonian mathematics, which is why 1 degree splits into 60 minutes and 1 minute splits into 60 seconds, just like an hour splits into 60 minutes.