🛰️ GPS Precision Calculator
Enter a number of decimal places in a coordinate to see the ground distance it resolves to at the equator — so you store the right precision in your geodata and know what a fix really pins down.
📍 How Many Decimals Do You Need?
What is a GPS Precision Calculator?
It answers a practical question: for a latitude/longitude written to a given number of decimal places, how small an area on the ground can that distinguish? Starting from ~111,320 m per degree, it divides by ten for each decimal place to give the resolvable distance at the equator.
Use it to pick a sensible precision for storing and sharing coordinates — enough to keep the accuracy your GPS actually delivers, without padding your data with meaningless digits.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How does the number of decimal places affect GPS precision?
One degree of latitude is about 111,320 m on the ground, and each extra decimal place resolves ten times finer. So 4 decimal places ≈ 11 m (a building or parcel), 5 places ≈ 1.1 m (a doorway or tree), and 6 places ≈ 0.11 m (survey grade). Fewer decimals means coarser location.
Why is the figure given 'at the equator'?
A degree of latitude is roughly constant everywhere, but a degree of longitude shrinks as you move toward the poles because meridians converge. The equator is the widest case, so it's the standard reference; at 60° latitude a degree of longitude covers only about half the ground distance.
How many decimal places should I store?
Match the decimals to the accuracy of your data. Consumer GPS is good to a few metres, so 5 decimal places (≈1 m) captures it without false precision; 6 places suits surveying. Storing 10 decimals of a phone fix just records noise — and bloats your database.
Does more decimal places mean my location is more accurate?
No — precision is not accuracy. Extra decimals refine how finely a coordinate is written, but the true accuracy is limited by the receiver, satellite geometry, and multipath. This tool tells you the resolution a given number of decimals can express, which is a ceiling on, not a guarantee of, real-world accuracy.