How to Convert Northing to Latitude

The northing of a point is a measure of how far north it is from the equator. It is used by the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) system, which divides the world up into discrete zones and treats each zone like a flat, two-dimensional surface. Because of the oblate spherical shape of the Earth and the minor distortions inherent in the UTM system's approach, converting from this system to latitude and longitude can be difficult. A close approximation, however, can be done quickly and easily.

Things You'll Need

  • Full northing measurement
  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Make sure you have your northing expressed in kilometers. Every northing measurement should be at least four digits. If there are two little numbers next to it, those are the first two digits. If there are more than four digits (up to seven), put a decimal point in so that the first four are to the left of it.

    • 2

      Convert kilometers into degrees latitude. Divide the northing measurement by 111.13, the number of kilometers in a longitudinal degree. The result is the number of degrees north of the equator, the latitude.

    • 3

      If you would like your answer expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds, you must make two more calculations. Take the decimal portion of your answer and multiply it by 60 to get the minutes. Now, take the decimal portion of that and multiply it by 60 to get the seconds.

    • 4

      If you would like a more accurate conversion, you need a more in-depth and complicated calculation. The formulas necessary would take pages to lay out and explain. Fortunately, there are handy in-depth explanations available. You may find these using the Resources link.

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