Decimal Degrees to DMS Converter
Convert between decimal degrees and DMS (degrees, minutes, seconds), convert radians to degrees, and calculate road slope percentage and rise:run ratio.
Decimal degrees to DMS converter
Coordinates can be expressed in two formats: decimal degrees (DD) and degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS). GPS systems typically output decimal degrees, while survey drawings and older mapping systems often use DMS. This converter handles both directions instantly.
How to convert decimal degrees to DMS
The conversion follows a simple process. Take the decimal degrees value, extract the whole number as degrees, multiply the remaining decimal by 60 to get minutes, then multiply the remaining decimal by 60 again to get seconds.
Degrees = 48°
Minutes = 0.8566 × 60 = 51.396 → 51′
Seconds = 0.396 × 60 = 23.76″
Result: 48° 51′ 23.76″
Road slope and grade
In road design, slope is expressed as a percentage grade (rise over run × 100) rather than degrees. A 5° slope equals an 8.75% grade. The slope converter above handles both directions and also shows the rise:run ratio used in drainage and retaining wall design.
Radians in structural engineering
Radians are the SI unit of angle and are used in structural calculations involving rotation, moment, and dynamic analysis. One full revolution = 2π radians = 360°. Use the radians converter above when switching between degrees and radians in your calculations.