Last updated October 13, 2026 · Report an error
The Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) system divides the globe into 60 zones and expresses position as a zone number plus a flat-plane easting/northing in meters, which is often more convenient for distance and area calculations than latitude/longitude. This tool converts standard WGS84 coordinates into UTM.
How it works
This uses the standard Snyder transverse Mercator series formulas (USGS Professional Paper 1395) with WGS84 ellipsoid constants, projecting the ellipsoidal latitude/longitude onto the relevant zone's central meridian, scaled by the UTM factor 0.9996, with a 500,000 m false easting (and a 10,000,000 m false northing added in the southern hemisphere).
- Enter latitude (decimal degrees, WGS84).
- Enter longitude (decimal degrees, WGS84).
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
Equator on a zone's central meridian
Any point exactly on the equator at a UTM zone's central meridian projects to precisely 500,000 m easting and 0 m northing — the mathematical definition of the projection's false easting and equatorial origin.
Who should use it
- Converting GPS coordinates into UTM for GIS, surveying, or military grid reference work.
- Distance and area calculations that are easier on a flat UTM plane than on a curved lat/long grid.
Industry applications
- GIS and surveying
- Military and defense mapping
- Geology and environmental science
Advantages
- Uses the real, standard WGS84 transverse Mercator projection formulas.
- Automatically determines the correct UTM zone from the input longitude.
Limitations
- Does not implement the Norway/Svalbard irregular zone exceptions.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting that UTM is only defined between 80°S and 84°N — polar regions use a separate Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS) system instead.
Best practices
- Always note which UTM zone a coordinate belongs to — the same easting/northing numbers mean completely different locations in different zones.
Tips
- Always record the zone number and hemisphere alongside the easting/northing — those two numbers alone are meaningless without knowing which zone they belong to.