How to find coordinates on Google Maps

Posted on August 21, 2008 at 5:35 am

Although it is rare, there may be a time when you have to look up the coordinates of a particular location. Personally, I used Google Maps to get the coordinates, but it took a while to figure out how to find them!

It would be nice if you could just check a box and have your cursor show you coordinates as you hover your mouse over the map, but too bad that feature is not there yet.

There are actually few ways to find coordinates on a Google Map and none of them are very intuitive!

Method 1: Click on Send or Link

The first strange way to get the coordinates is to click on Send or Link at the top right of the map. When you click on Send, the Message body will contain the Latitude and Longitude values towards the bottom.

Method 2: Use Javascipt Hack

The second method is also strange, but it’s definitely very cool! To find the coordinates of any location, first search the address in Google Maps and make sure the address is centered. By default, when you do the search, the result is centered. So before doing the next step, don’t move around the map.

Now simply copy and paste the following code into your browser address bar:

javascript:void(prompt(”,gApplication.getMap().getCenter()));

Yes that’s it! A popup window will appear with the latitude and longitude values for the location! Sweet. Great tip from LifeHacker.

Method 3: Install Google Map Add-ons

You can also make it really simple for yourself by installing an add-on to Google Maps so that you can simply click on any location on a Google Map and it will show you the coordinates.

PositionFinder gets the coordinates for any position on a Google Map, simple as that. Just click the Add it to Maps button to install it.

Method 4: Right-click and choose “Directions from here”

Another method that doesn’t require installing anything is to right-click on any location and choose “Directions from here”. A box will pop up on the left hand side and it will include the exact coordinates for that location.

Apparently, you can perform a search and then right-click on the little push-pin and choose this option. However, I could not get it to work by right-clicking on the push-pin itself because it would keep zooming out, but instead had to search for the location and then right-click on a spot very close to the push-pin! Very weird, but works!

Method 5: Use Google Earth

Finally, you can also use Google Earth to find the coordinates in degrees for any location. The best thing about Google Earth is that it gives you the coordinates without having to do weird stuff like you have to for Google Maps!

So that’s all the possible ways I could find for getting coordinates from Google Maps. Enjoy!

» Filed Under Computer Tips

Comments

10 Responses to “How to find coordinates on Google Maps”

Manish MISTRY said on : August 21st, 2008 at 6:53 pm

I prefer to user http://www.flashearth.com it is a flash app that gives you the coordinates in live while you are browsing and moving around the map! It offeres maps from not Google but almost all otehr map providers that I know of!

turizmas said on : February 2nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm

i was searching actually how to get coordinates by moving mouse on the web maps.

Joost said on : April 24th, 2009 at 12:52 am

@turizmas
Probably too late for you, but it maybe helpful to other searching for the same:
http://itouchmap.com/latlong.html lets you move the mouse and click to retrieve the coordinates.

dany said on : May 6th, 2009 at 5:02 am

another online tool very easy to use is:
http://www.sunearthtools.com/d....._earth.php

here you obtain the latitude and longitude simply by clicking on the interactive map

megat ismail said on : June 16th, 2009 at 8:49 am

Dear Joost

Thank you for contributing the itouchmap.com
You are so kind and helpful!

Thanks again

Peter Brown said on : November 27th, 2009 at 4:13 pm

I tried all these methods of finding co-ordinates – none of them worked for me. Perhaps they’re not compatible with the Mac OSX – 10.4.11 I use.

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

stas zh said on : December 2nd, 2009 at 7:49 am

while browsing map > right click -> what’s here?
coordinates will appear in search tab (on the top)

Eleni said on : December 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm

Your method of finding coordinates hepled me so much
Thank you!

Toure said on : December 22nd, 2009 at 7:27 am

Is there any way to find the coordinates on a Yahoo map? I like Yahoo Maps more and that is what I use all the time. Thanks.

John said on : January 2nd, 2010 at 8:53 am

I am finding coordinates so confusing. My Garmin hand held etrex GPS has a dozen or so systems to choose from. I am using UTM UPS system, but it does not seem to be the same as what I find on maps or on my Navigon car GPS. None of the coordinates match what I see on Google maps. How do I reconcile all of these?
Thanks!
John