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Convert Universal Transverse Mercator coordinates to latitude and longitude
| Location | Zone | Hemisphere | Easting | Northing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Times Square, NYC | 18 | N | 585,628m | 4,511,322m |
| Tokyo Tower, Japan | 54 | N | 386,890m | 3,951,163m |
| Cape Town, South Africa | 34 | S | 261,878m | 6,242,695m |
| Berlin, Germany | 33 | N | 388,304m | 5,819,734m |
| Buenos Aires, Argentina | 21 | S | 359,869m | 6,136,877m |
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) is a map projection system that divides the Earth into 60 zones, each 6° of longitude wide. Unlike latitude and longitude which use angles, UTM uses metric distances, making it ideal for accurate distance and area calculations in GIS, surveying, and military applications.
Each UTM zone has its own coordinate system with a central meridian. The easting value represents the distance in meters east of this central meridian (given a false easting of 500,000m to avoid negative numbers). The northing represents the distance north from the equator in the northern hemisphere, or the distance north from 10,000,000m south of the equator in the southern hemisphere.
UTM coordinates are particularly useful because they preserve shape and direction over moderate distances, and all distances are measured in meters. This makes calculations much simpler than working with degrees. A grid square of 1000m × 1000m in UTM is actually close to that size on the ground, unlike latitude/longitude where the size varies with location.
The UTM system uses the WGS84 datum as its reference ellipsoid, which is the same datum used by GPS satellites. This ensures compatibility with modern GPS receivers and digital mapping systems. However, UTM is less accurate near the poles (beyond 84°N and 80°S) where the Universal Polar Stereographic (UPS) system is used instead.
The UTM system divides the Earth into 60 vertical zones, each 6° of longitude wide, numbered 1-60 starting at 180°W. Each zone has its own coordinate system with a central meridian. To find your zone, you can divide your longitude by 6, add 31, and round down. For example, longitude -74° (New York) is in zone 18.
Easting is the distance in meters east from the zone's central meridian (plus 500,000m false easting). Northing is the distance in meters north from the equator (northern hemisphere) or from 10,000,000m south of the equator (southern hemisphere). These metric distances make UTM ideal for precise measurements.
False easting (500,000m) and false northing (10,000,000m for southern hemisphere) are added to ensure all coordinate values are positive. This avoids negative numbers which can cause confusion and errors in calculations and data processing. The false easting also helps identify which side of the central meridian a point is located.
Conversion accuracy depends on the algorithm and implementation. Professional tools using full geodetic calculations can achieve millimeter-level accuracy. This simplified converter provides good accuracy for most applications. For critical surveying or legal work, use specialized GIS software or geodetic libraries like proj4 or GDAL.
Latitude/longitude is a geographic coordinate system using angles (degrees), while UTM is a projected coordinate system using distances (meters). UTM is better for calculating distances and areas over moderate regions, while lat/long is better for global navigation. UTM distortion increases toward zone edges and poles.
Technically, each UTM zone is independent, and coordinates don't directly transfer between zones. However, points near zone boundaries can be represented in either adjacent zone. For projects spanning multiple zones, it's common to extend one zone's projection across the boundary, though this increases distortion.