UTM divides the world into 60 north–south zones, each 6° wide, and measures position in metres east and north. Hikers, surveyors, the military and GIS analysts prefer it because distances can be read straight off the grid.
How to use the Lat Long to UTM Converter
- Convert
- Latitude (decimal °)
- Longitude (decimal °)
- UTM zone number
- Hemisphere
- Easting (m)
- Northing (m)
Everything runs in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.
How it works
The calculator uses the standard Transverse Mercator series formulas on the WGS 84 ellipsoid, including the Norway and Svalbard zone exceptions. Results agree with professional GIS software to well under a metre.
Formula
Transverse Mercator projection on the WGS 84 ellipsoid, scale factor 0.9996, false easting 500,000 m (false northing 10,000,000 m in the south)Worked example
Inputs — Convert: Lat/long → UTM; Latitude (decimal °): 40.7488; Longitude (decimal °): -73.9854; UTM zone number: 18; Hemisphere: Northern; Easting (m): 585,651; Northing (m): 4,511,369.
Results — UTM coordinates = 18T 585651 m E 4511369 m N; Latitude, longitude = 40.748817, -73.985428; As degrees, minutes, seconds = 40° 44′ 55.74″ N, 73° 59′ 7.54″ W.
Key terms
- Easting
- Distance in metres east of the zone’s false origin.
- Northing
- Distance in metres north of the equator (plus 10,000 km in the southern hemisphere).
Frequently asked questions
What is the UTM zone for New York?
Zone 18T.
Does UTM work at the poles?
No; above 84° N and below 80° S the UPS system is used instead.
What datum is used?
WGS 84, the GPS standard.
What formula does the Lat Long to UTM Converter use?
Transverse Mercator projection on the WGS 84 ellipsoid, scale factor 0.9996, false easting 500,000 m (false northing 10,000,000 m in the south).