How Can I Locate Longitude & Latitude?

Latitude and longitude are imaginary lines used to plot coordinates of a location.

With today's technology, locating longitude and latitude is generally done at the click of a button. Online tools allow users to zoom into a location anywhere in the world, click on the desired spot and the longitude and latitude are displayed. Latitude are imaginary parallel lines based on the distance north or south of the equator. Longitude's imaginary lines are called meridians, and are the distance east or west of Greenwich, England, the prime meridian. Latitude and longitude are measured in seconds, minutes and degrees.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler
• Map showing longitude and latitude lines
• Pencil
• GPS device

Instructions

Online Tools

1. Enter a destination's address in the search bar on one of the online map programs such as Google Maps, MapQuest and Virtual GPS that allows users to pinpoint the longitude and latitude of a location worldwide with the click of a mouse.

2. Right click in Google Maps on the highlighted location to bring up a menu.

3. Select "what's here?" The longitude and latitude values appear in the search bar.

4. Scroll through various locations and right click on a desired spot to bring up the longitude and latitude, which allows this feature to also work without a specific address.

5. Enter a destination's address on MapQuest's Latitude/Longitude Finder. It automatically calculates the latitude and longitude.

United States Coordinates

1. Log on to the U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System query page.

2. Enter the city name in the feature name field.

3. Select the state or territory of your location.

4. Select "populated place" as the feature type.

5. Hit "send query." The results will appear in chart form on the webpage.

Using a GPS

1. 

   GPS device

   Obtain a GPS tool. Turn on the device.

2. Go to the desired location. This allows the GPS to triangulate your position, as it needs at least three or four satellites signals to pinpoint your location.

3. Go to the device's Preference screen. Select the DMS, or degrees/minutes/seconds coordinate system, which is the standard method of listing longitude and latitude. The GPS display is the values for the longitude and latitude of the location.

World Map

1. 

   Plotting longitude and latitude on a printed map

   Locate a world map with lines of longitude and latitude. Lines of latitude run horizontally. Lines of longitude run vertically. The lines of longitude and latitude resemble a grid on the map.

2. Locate a point of interest on the map. Mark it with a point, using a pencil.

3. Use a ruler and orient it north-to-south on the map. Line the ruler up with the point using the vertical grid lines or longitude. Note the values that run along the top or bottom of the map These correspond with the lines of longitude. Record this value, which is the longitude. For example, New Orleans' longitude is 90 degrees west.

4. 

   Locating lines of latitude

   Use the ruler and now orient it east to west on the map. Line the ruler up with the point using the horizontal lines or latitude. Note the values that run along the left or right side of the map -- these correspond with the lines of latitude. Record this value, which is the location's latitude. For example, New Orleans' latitude is 30 degrees north.

5. Combine the longitude and latitude values for the coordinates. For example, the city of New Orleans' longitude and latitude would be read as 90 degrees west and 30 degrees north.

Tips & Warnings

• Zenith Aircraft Company's Virtual GPS is another online tool that simply requires you to type in the names of two cities to calculate their longitude and latitude coordinates and the distance between the two locations.

• Do not solely rely on a GPS for navigation. Always carry a map and compass. GPS devices are limited in what they can accomplish and results can be inaccurate because of bad weather and obstructions such as tall buildings, tree cover and canyons.

References

• Google Maps: Searching with Latitude and Longitude Coordinates
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; How to Determine Longitude and Latitude from Topographic Maps; May 1999
• Northern Arizona University: Resources for Determining Your Latitude and Longitude
• REI.com; How to Use Your New GPS Receiver; Ed Robison; December 2009

Resources

• LowerGear.com: How to Use GPS
• U.S. Department of the Interior: Latitude and Longitude
• MapQuest: Latitude/Longitude Finder
• Zenith Air Company: Virtual GPS
• Houghton Mifflin Company: Interactive Map
• Map Tools: Plotting and Measuring Latitude