Degrees Minutes Seconds to Decimal Degrees Converter (DMS to DD

DMS to Decimal Degrees (DD), Geographic Coordinate Conversion & Formulas

Converting traditional base-60 sexagesimal notation (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds) to base-10 decimal degrees:

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• Universal DMS to DD Conversion Formula**:

Decimal Degrees (DD) = Sign ×

Where D = Degrees, M = Minutes (0 to 59), S = Seconds (0 to 59.999)

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• Hemispheric Sign Rules**:

• North (N): Positive

• South (S): Negative (-1)

• East (E): Positive

• West (W): Negative (-1)

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• Standard Conversion Benchmarks**:

• Statue of Liberty (Lat): 40^ 41' 21.29'' N +40.689247^

• Statue of Liberty (Lon): 74^ 02' 40.21'' W -74.044503^

• Eiffel Tower (Lat): 48^ 51' 30.13'' N +48.858369^

• Sydney Opera House (Lat): 33^ 51' 24.00'' S -33.856667^

How to Use This Calculator

Enter your Degrees (°: 0 to 180) (e.g. 40 in °), Minutes (': 0 to 59) (e.g. 41 in '), Seconds (": 0 to 59.999) (e.g. 21.29 in "), Cardinal Direction / Hemispheric Sign — choose from North (N - Positive Latitude), South (S - Negative Latitude), East (E - Positive Longitude), and Geographic Landmark Benchmark — choose from Custom DMS Values, Statue of Liberty Latitude (40° 41' 21.29" N) → 40.689247°, Statue of Liberty Longitude (74° 02' 40.21" W) → -74.044503°. Results update instantly as you type — adjust any value to compare scenarios.

The Formula

Convert DMS to Decimal Degrees: DD = D + M/60 + S/3600

Worked Example

A land surveyor reading a boundary marker in a deed written as 74° 02' 40.21" West converts it to decimal degrees: - = -74.044503°, allowing it to be entered directly into GIS GPS mapping software.

Understanding Your Result

Unit conversion precision: round to the same number of significant figures as your original measurement. Converting 6 feet to meters gives 1.8288 m — but if your measurement was approximate (±1 inch), expressing more than 2 decimal places is false precision. For international trade and technical specifications, SI units (meters, kilograms, liters) are the standard. US customary units (feet, pounds, gallons) differ from Imperial UK units: 1 US gallon = 3.785 L vs. 1 UK gallon = 4.546 L.