Level of Resolution of Longitude and Latitude Measurements

Using more decimal places when specifying the values of Latitude and Longitude for a given position measurement provides a finer resolution and allows for a higher level of accuracy.

The linear distance corresponding to 1 degree or to any given fraction of a degree of longitude or latitude depends on two main factors:

• The position on Earth's surface. More specifically, the latitude at which the measurement takes place.
• The reference Datum used to represent the Earth.

The following tables provide the different levels of resolution for position measurements that are obtained when using an increasing number of decimal places for longitude and latitude values.

The resolution is reported for various latitudes and based on the WGS84 datum.

 Longitude Resolution in linear distance

Latitude Resolution in linear distance