My coordinates - get your location

How to get your coordinates

You do not need to register or install an app to find your location — a browser is enough:

1. Press the Get coordinates button.
2. Allow access to your location in the browser prompt.
3. Your latitude and longitude appear on the screen together with links to Waze and Google Maps.

The tool works both on a computer and on a smartphone. Every result is added to the history, which is cleared when the page is reloaded.

What latitude and longitude mean

Latitude (φ) shows how far a point lies north or south of the equator. Values range from -90° to 90°: positive in the northern hemisphere, negative in the southern one.

Longitude (λ) shows how far a point lies east or west of the Greenwich meridian. Values range from -180° to 180°: positive to the east, negative to the west.

Latvia lies in the northern hemisphere east of Greenwich, so both numbers are positive, for example 56.946285, 24.105078. The first number is always the latitude, the second one is the longitude. Swap them and the point ends up somewhere completely different on the map.

Coordinate formats

• Decimal degrees (DD) — 56.946285, 24.105078. This format is used by this page, Google Maps and Waze.
• Degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) — 56°56'46.6"N 24°06'18.3"E.
• Degrees and decimal minutes (DM) — 56°56.771'N 24°06.305'E. It is used in marine and air navigation.

To convert DMS into decimal degrees use the formula: degrees + minutes / 60 + seconds / 3600. For example, 56°56'46.6" = 56 + 56 / 60 + 46.6 / 3600 = 56.9463.

The number of decimals defines the precision: the sixth decimal is about 0.1 metres, the fourth one is about 11 metres, while two decimals are already about 1 kilometre.

Coordinates of Latvian cities

Approximate coordinates of city centres in decimal degrees — a handy way to check your own result:

Latvia is located roughly between 55.7° and 58.1° north latitude and between 20.9° and 28.3° east longitude.

How accurate the coordinates are

A browser determines the location in several ways, and accuracy depends on the one used:

• GPS/GNSS satellites — usually available on phones and tablets only. Accuracy in open areas is about 3-10 metres.
• Wi-Fi networks — the position is derived from the list of nearby access points. In a city the accuracy is about 20-50 metres.
• Mobile network cells — accuracy from a few hundred metres to several kilometres.
• IP address — the least accurate method. It points to a city or even to an internet provider node, and the error can reach dozens of kilometres.

That is why a desktop computer without a GPS module normally gives a less accurate result than a phone. Being indoors, dense buildings, cloudy weather and battery saving modes that limit GPS also reduce accuracy.

What to do if the location is not detected

If you see an error message or no coordinates at all, check the following:

• whether location access was blocked earlier. Click the padlock icon in the address bar and allow location access for this site;
• whether location services are enabled in the device settings: Windows: Settings > Privacy > Location; macOS: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services; Android: Settings > Location; iOS: Settings > Privacy > Location Services;
• whether the browser itself is allowed to use location at the operating system level;
• whether a VPN, a proxy or a tracking blocker is active, they can replace or block location data;
• whether the page is opened over a secure connection (HTTPS), otherwise the browser will not ask for the location at all;
• whether the browser is up to date. The Geolocation API is supported by all modern browsers.

If the accuracy is poor, step outside or move closer to a window and try again: acquiring the satellite signal may take a few dozen seconds.

How to share your coordinates

Once the coordinates are known, you can use them in several ways:

• open the point in Google Maps or Waze using the ready links under the result;
• copy the latitude, longitude pair and send it in a message, the recipient can paste it into the search box of any map;
• read the coordinates out to the operator when calling the emergency number 112 if you do not know the exact address;
• give the exact spot to a courier, a taxi or a tow truck when there are no addresses nearby;
• mark a place in a forest, on a beach or in a field so you can return to it later.

Privacy

The coordinates are determined by your browser through the standard Geolocation API. The result stays on your device: we do not store it and do not link it to you. The history is kept only in the open tab and disappears when the page is reloaded.

A browser never determines the location without your consent, and the permission you granted can be revoked at any time in the site settings.

Frequently asked questions