Latitude vs. Longitude: What's the Difference?

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Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the equator, from 0° to 90°, while longitude measures how far east or west it is from the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, from 0° to 180°. Together they pinpoint any spot on Earth. Latitude largely controls climate and daylight length, while longitude sets local time.

At a glance

	Latitude	Longitude
Measures	Distance north or south of the equator	Distance east or west of the Prime Meridian
Range	0° at the equator to 90° N or S	0° at Greenwich to 180° E or W
Lines	Parallels: full circles that shrink to the poles	Meridians: equal half-circles meeting at poles
One degree	Always about 111 km apart	About 111 km at the equator, zero at the poles
Mainly affects	Climate, seasons and day length	Local time: 15° equals one hour

Which should you use?

Latitude

Latitude explains climate differences, such as the Tropic of Cancer at about 23.5° N crossing central India and dividing its tropical south from its subtropical north.

Longitude

Longitude explains time differences, such as Indian Standard Time being set by the 82.5° E meridian, which puts India 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Greenwich the Prime Meridian?

There is no natural zero line for longitude, so one had to be chosen. At the 1884 International Meridian Conference, most countries agreed on the meridian through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, London, largely because many sea charts already used it.

Why was longitude so hard for sailors to find?

Latitude can be measured from the height of the Sun or Pole Star, but longitude depends on time difference. Sailors needed to know the time at home port precisely, which only became practical once accurate marine clocks, called chronometers, were built in the 18th century.

Which is written first in coordinates?

Latitude is normally written first, then longitude. New Delhi, for example, lies at roughly 28.6° N, 77.2° E. In decimal form, south latitudes and west longitudes are written as negative numbers.