How to use the plus code converter
- Choose Coordinates to code or Code to coordinates.
- For coordinates, enter the latitude and longitude in decimal degrees and choose the code length. 10 digits is a cell about 14 meters across.
- For a code, paste a full plus code, or a short code with a reference point within about 50 kilometers.
- Read the code or the cell center, the two corners of the cell and its size, and use the CSV for your records.
Formula
shift: latitude + 90 and longitude + 180
digits 1 to 10: five pairs in base 20 using 23456789CFGHJMPQRVWX
digits 11 to 15: a 5 by 4 grid, one grid square per digit
a + sign follows the eighth digit; short codes are padded with zeros
The first pair has cells 20 degrees across, and each next pair is 20 times finer, down to 0.000125 degrees at 10 digits. Each grid digit divides the cell by 5 north to south and by 4 west to east.
Published examples and a short code
The point 47.0000625, 8.0000625 at 10 digits is 8FVC2222+22. A code of 6 digits for 20.375, 2.775 is 7FG49Q00+, a cell from 20.35, 2.75 to 20.4, 2.8, about 5.5 by 5.2 kilometers. Decoding 8FVC9G8F+6W gives a cell from 47.3655, 8.52475 to 47.365625, 8.524875, centered on 47.3655625, 8.5248125.
The short code 9G8F+6W is missing its first four digits. With a reference point of 47.4, 8.6, the page fills them in from the reference and finds 8FVC9G8F+6W, the nearest match. A longer code means a smaller cell: 11 digits is about 3.5 meters across at the longest and 15 digits about 1.4 centimeters.
What plus codes are for
A plus code (formally an Open Location Code) is a short code for a place that works like an address where none exists. It is made of letters and numbers, has no spaces, and avoids letters that look alike so that it is easy to read out. Nearby places have similar codes, and the + sign is a visual cue that it is a plus code. A short code drops the leading digits and relies on a nearby town for the rest.
The code names a cell, not a point. Any location in the same cell gets the same code, and a longer code gives a smaller cell. The cell is a rectangle in degrees, so its width in meters shrinks toward the poles.
Notes on short codes and accuracy
To use a short code you need a reference point within about half the size of the omitted area: for a code missing four digits, within about half a degree. The page checks for the nearest match to your reference. If the reference is far from the place, a different place with the same short code might be chosen. For distances between points, use the Great Circle Distance Calculator, and for other ways of writing coordinates, the Coordinate Format Converter. Related: the Number Base Converter and the Phone Number Formatter.
Assumptions and limits
- Latitude is limited to -90 to 90. Longitude wraps around, so 540 is the same as 180 minus 360.
- Code lengths are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 digits. Padding zeros are used for lengths under 8.
- Cell sizes in meters are estimates using the cell center latitude and a spherical Earth.
- Everything is calculated in your browser, and no map or network request is made.
Frequently asked questions
How precise is a plus code?
It depends on the length. 10 digits name a cell about 14 meters by 14 meters at the equator, and 11 digits about 3.5 meters. The code never claims to be a single point.
What is a short code?
A plus code with the first 2, 4 or 6 digits removed, such as 9G8F+6W. Anyone can turn it back into a full code by naming a nearby place, which the page does with a reference latitude and longitude.
Why are some letters missing from the alphabet?
The 20 characters were picked to avoid look-alikes and to avoid forming words in most languages. Vowels and letters such as I, L, O, B and D are left out.
Is a plus code the same as a postal code?
No. A postal code names a delivery area set by a postal service. A plus code is computed from coordinates and can be made for any place, with no registry.