How to Plot Lat & Long on a Map

Plotting latitude and longitude on a map gives you a pinpoint location helpful in navigation. If you have the latitude and longitude coordinates and wish to transfer them to the map, it is a matter of following the degrees, minutes and seconds marks. Standard maps break up a degree into 60 minutes, which are then broken into 60 seconds. Plotting coordinates is helpful when using paper maps and GPS units as it allows you to retrieve the latitude and longitude coordinates from the GPS device onto the paper map, giving a redundancy for navigation.

Things You'll Need

  • Mechanical pencil
  • Topo Map
  • Latitude and longitude coordinates
Show More

Instructions

  1. Plot Coordinates

    • 1

      Set out your topo map and write out your latitude and longitude coordinates. Check that your coordinates read in terms of degrees, minutes and seconds. For example, a latitude may read 32 degrees, 18' (minutes) and 37" (seconds.) Longitude may read 64 degrees, 23' 44".

    • 2

      Draw a subtle line on the graticule (graticules are the lines marking latitude and longitude) for the latitude coordinate. Topos are marked in terms of the degree with smaller marks separating the degree marks into smaller subsections.

    • 3

      Draw a line through the proper longitude coordinate. Like the latitude marks, longitude lines are represented on the topo as degrees, then broken into minute lines and seconds.

    • 4

      Find the intersecting point on the map where your latitude and longitude lines meet. This is the plot point for your coordinates.