MGRS converter: MGRS to lat long and back
18S UJ 23487 06483 is 38.8895 N, 77.0352 W. Paste your own MGRS references, or switch the sides to turn GPS points into MGRS.
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AI Agent for QGIS
Ask AI Agent in QGIS to turn your MGRS grid references into points on a map, in one sentence.
Guide
How it works, formats and limits.
About this tool
Paste MGRS grid references, with or without spaces, and read the WGS 84 latitude and longitude. Switch the two sides to turn GPS points into MGRS. Any precision, 1 m to 10 km.
How it works
- From is already MGRS and To is WGS 84. Swap them to convert latitude and longitude to MGRS, or pick any other system in the list.
- Paste the grid references, one per line: 18S UJ 23487 06483 or 18SUJ2348706483, at any precision from 1 to 5 digits. Text after the reference is kept as a label.
- Read the latitude and longitude with the degrees-minutes-seconds form next to it, copy the table, or download it as CSV.
What an MGRS coordinate means
Take 18S UJ 23487 06483, a point by the Washington Monument. It reads from the largest square to the smallest.
| Part | What it says |
|---|---|
| 18S | The grid zone: UTM zone 18 (a six-degree strip of longitude) and latitude band S (eight degrees tall). Bands run from C in the south to X in the north. |
| UJ | The 100 km square inside that zone: a column letter, then a row letter. |
| 23487 06483 | The easting then the northing inside the square, always the same number of digits each. |
| Precision | 5 digits each is 1 m, 4 is 10 m, 3 is 100 m, 2 is 1 km, 1 is 10 km. The page reads any of them and places the point at the centre of that square. |
More coordinate systems
The same tool converts between Lambert 93, every UTM zone, Web Mercator and a dozen national grids. Open the full coordinate converter
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
How do I convert MGRS to latitude and longitude?
Paste the grid reference above, with or without spaces, and press Convert. 18S UJ 23487 06483 gives 38.8895 N, 77.0352 W. The result is WGS 84 degrees, the system GPS receivers and Google Maps use.
How do I convert latitude and longitude to MGRS?
Press the swap button so From is WGS 84 and To is MGRS, paste the latitude and longitude, and convert. The result is a 1 m grid reference such as 31U DQ 48251 11932.
Is MGRS the same as UTM?
It is UTM written with letters. The zone and band replace the hemisphere, and the two letters of the 100 km square replace the leading digits of the easting and northing, so the numbers stay short.
Does it work near the poles?
No. North of 84 N and south of 80 S, MGRS uses the polar UPS grid, which this page does not handle. Those points are reported and left out rather than placed wrongly.
Are my coordinates sent anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser tab and the page makes no request while you use it.
What does MGRS stand for?
Military Grid Reference System, the NATO way to name a place with a grid zone, a 100 km square and a short number. It is UTM written with letters, so a reference such as 18S UJ 23487 06483 names one square on the ground.
How do I convert UTM to MGRS?
Set From to your UTM zone and To to MGRS, then paste the easting and northing. MGRS is UTM written with letters, so the conversion changes the notation and not the position.
Can I paste an MGRS reference into Google Maps?
Not directly: Google Maps reads latitude and longitude. Convert the reference here, then paste the decimal result, for example 38.8895, -77.0352, into the Google Maps search box.
How accurate is the conversion?
A reference with 5 digits each names a 1 m square and the page returns the centre of that square. 4 digits give 10 m and 3 digits give 100 m. The datum is WGS 84, the same as GPS.