How to Calculate Latitude for an Address

Latitude is one of the geographic coordinates used to calculate a point on the earth's surface. Latitude measures the distance of a point vertically from the equator. The equator has a latitude of zero, and points above the equator have a positive latitude coordinate; points below the equator have a negative latitude coordinate. You always express latitude measurements in units called degrees. You can calculate the specific latitude for an address by using an online map tool.

Instructions

1. Open a web browser on your computer and go to an online map tool that allows you to calculate latitude by inputting an address. Examples of this type of tool include Geocoder.us, Itouchmap.com and Stevemorse.org (see Resources).

2. Enter the complete address in the appropriate text box(es). Depending on the website, you will either enter the complete address in a single text field or enter the individual address components in separate fields.

3. Click the "Search," "Go" or "Determine Lat/Lon" button to display the latitude coordinates for the address.

References

• National Atlas: Latitude and Longitude
• Neighborhood Link: What is Latitude?

Resources

• Geocoder: A Free US Address Geocoder
• Itouch Map: Latitude and Longitude of a Point
• Steve Morse: Converting Addresses to / from Latitude / Longitude / Altitude in One Step