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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids

By: GISGeography Last Updated: June 9, 2021

Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids

Here’s how you can remember latitude and longitude:

Latitude lines run east-west and are parallel to each other. If you go north, latitude values increase.
Finally, latitude values (Y-values) range between -90 and +90 degrees.

But longitude lines run north-south. They converge at the poles. And its X-coordinates are between -180
and +180 degrees.

Latitude and longitude coordinates make up our geographic coordinate system.

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

Map Coordinate Systems

You can give any location on Earth latitude and longitude coordinates.

The field of study that measures the shape and size of the Earth is geodesy. Geodesists use coordinate
reference systems such as WGS84, NAD27 and NAD83. In each coordinate system, geodists use
mathematics to give each position on Earth a unique coordinate.

A geographic coordinate system defines two-dimensional coordinates based on the Earth’s surface. It has
an angular unit of measure, prime meridian and datum (which contains the spheroid).
As shown in the image below, lines of longitude And on the other hand, lines of latitudes have Y-
have X-coordinates between -180 and +180 values that are between -90 and +90 degrees.
degrees.

Latitude Coordinates

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Longitude Coordinates

The equator is where we measure north and south. For example, everything north of the equator has
positive latitude values. Whereas, everything south of the equator has negative latitude values.

The Greenwich Meridian (or prime meridian) is a zero line of longitude from which we measure east and
west. In fact, the zero line passes through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England, which is why we
call it what it is today. In a geographical coordinate system, the prime meridian is the line that has 0°
longitude.

Most horizontal datums assign the equator as a zero line of latitude. The equator is where we measure
north and south. Whereas, the Greenwich Meridian (or prime meridian) is a zero line of longitude from
which we measure east and west.

Together, these lines provide a reference for latitude and longitude that always zig-zag into each other.

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This geographic grid gives unique latitude and longitude for every position on Earth.

Find Anything on Earth with Coordinates

Coordinates are pairs (X, Y) in a two-dimensional space referenced to a horizontal datum. Whereas
triplets (X, Y, Z) of points not only has a position but also has height referenced to a vertical datum. In
other words, the X- and Y-values represent a horizontal position. Whereas, the Z-value represents the
vertical position.

Geographic coordinate systems use an ellipsoid to approximate all locations on the surface of the earth.
Whereas, the datum defines the surface.

A horizontal datum has a major axis, which is the longest diameter of an ellipse. Also, it has a minor axis,
which is the shortest diameter of an ellipse. Finally, a horizontal datum has a radius that represents the
position of the surface relative to the center of the earth.

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

What is a Coordinate Reference System?

A reference ellipsoid is the mathematical model of the shape of the Earth with the major axis along the
equatorial radius. A geographic coordinate system uses longitude and latitude expressed in decimal
degrees. For example, WGS 1984 and NAD 1983 are the most common datums today. Before 1983,
NAD27 was the most common datum.

Cartographers write spherical coordinates (latitudes and longitudes) in degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS)

and decimal degrees. For degrees-minutes-seconds, minutes range from 0 to 60. For example, the
geographic coordinate expressed in degrees-minutes-seconds for New York City is:

Latitude: 40 degrees, 42 minutes, 51 seconds N

Longitude: 74 degrees, 0 minutes, 21 seconds W

You can also express geographic coordinates in decimal degrees. It’s just another way to represent that
same location in a different format. For example, here is New York City in decimal degrees:

Latitude: 40.714
Longitude: -74.006

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

The Federal Communications Commission has a DMS-Decimal converter tool that converts latitude and
longitude between decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Latitude, Longitude and Spherical Coordinate System Grids

When you put two coordinates together as a pair (X, Y), you can locate anything on Earth.

Latitude and longitude form our coordinate system grid.

Also, you can express coordinates in different ways. For example, you can use decimal degrees or
degrees-minutes-seconds.

Thanks to our geographic coordinate, you can pinpoint any point on Earth such as GPS receivers. And this
includes the spot you are reading this article right now.

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18 Comments

GISGeography says:
September 9, 2020 at 10:41 am

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

Negative longitude means it’s west of the prime meridian. But negative latitudes means that it’s south of the
equator. I would plug the latitude and longitude values in, and see where they land. If the coordinates make sense,
then you would know if it’s negative or positive.

Claudia says:
September 9, 2020 at 8:37 am

How do we know if they are negative

GISGeography says:
August 3, 2020 at 8:05 am

You would need at the very least 3 coordinates. Then, convert point to polygon and calculate area. All can be done
in QGIS.

Md Shuman says:
August 2, 2020 at 10:23 am

How can the size of an area delineated by latitude and longitude be calculated?

Monika Backlund says:

June 11, 2020 at 5:27 am

Ha, Hallo! Awful question and I am sure you’re no the correct forum, but maybe you can guide me in this difficult
process. Live in Stockholm, Sweden, hired a carpenter that later charged me 2.5 the agreed amount, he didn’t finish
the job after 7 weeks and I fired him. He was supposed to be due in 2 weeks! Now I am being sued in court and I
try to get data from his mobile telephone, GPS locations, as he has not been in my Stockholm apartment as he
states. Stockholm police can assist me if a DA agrees, and if not, the court will not assist. You have any guidance?

GISGeography says:
February 28, 2020 at 5:54 am

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

Thanks for the suggestion. I updated the post.

Birgit Blaabjerg Bisgaard says:

February 25, 2020 at 12:55 am

Hi – very nice document on goegraphy, coordinates and projections – all though I think something is wrong in the
section “Find Anything on Earth with Coordinates”. It says “In other words, the X-value represents the horizontal
position. Whereas, the Y-value represents the vertical position.”
I think the correct words would be:
In other words, the X- and Y-values represents the horizontal position. Whereas, the Z-value represents the vertical
position.

Allen Brock says:

December 16, 2019 at 1:58 pm

Dennis Crane, if you still look here and haven’t had an answer about your Maryland coordinates, there was a
program on the internet called “Corpscon7” which can convert coordinates like you have to regular LON LAT
coordinates. It takes a little playing with, and a little knowledge, but it works great.

Robert B says:
October 8, 2019 at 9:23 am

In football, running North-South is to move down the length of the field ?!?

GISGeography says:
September 9, 2019 at 7:41 am

This is an interesting analogy! Thanks for the comment

William Pezzulich says:

September 2, 2019 at 3:45 am

Think in basic football terms.

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A Lateral pass is a cross field pass Latitude North – South

Go Long is a downfield pass Longitude East – West

Jeferson Alandete says:

January 31, 2019 at 11:51 pm

Interesting article. In some cases it’s required to incorporate a distance correction factors depending on your
location and main reference point for the specific project,therefore, this correction factor can be bigger or smaller
than 1 that can result in greater or smaller distances on the earth compare with the UTM grid.

In my current project we use what they’ve called Plant Coordinates which are UTM affected by the correction
factor.

Chris Conohan says:

November 26, 2018 at 2:19 pm

Is there a reason that latitude and longitude are given in that order instead of longitude and latitude? As I
understand the map, it’s like using a coordinate pair of (y,x) instead of (x,y) which is what’s taught in school. Am I
reading that incorrectly, or is there a reason for that convention?

GISGeography says:
January 24, 2018 at 4:55 am

Thanks for the comments on GISGeography, David! Very helpful for anyone learning these concepts.

David Verbyla says:

January 23, 2018 at 5:55 pm

Think “ladder” for latitude (north south)

Long for longitude since longitude has a “longer” range of values up to 180 degrees, compare to up to 90 degrees
for latitude

Dennis Crane says:

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Latitude, Longitude and Coordinate System Grids - GIS Geography

December 26, 2017 at 8:55 am

I have a similar question from Maryland. I have a plot plan that contains reference N: 429,433.02 and E:
1,455,456.46. This is an IPF location. Any suggestions?

Willard Handley says:

December 8, 2017 at 8:12 am

I have a set of property drawings of the public bus depot in Rochester, NY done in 1974. It shows the coordinates
of the corners of the buildings on the property. The format of the coordinates is strange; for example, instead of the
usual North and West, the first number is identified as “South,” the second as “East.”

For example: 49,957.44 South, 42,117.36 East. I thought they might be State Plane Coordinates, but I’ve confirmed
that they are not. Ultimately I need to convert them into “normal” lat/long coordinates, but my question for now is
just, what format is this?

Charles Benham says:

October 11, 2017 at 2:59 pm

The longitudinal lines are perpendicular to the equator. Are the longitudes perpendicular to the latitudes?

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