---
title: "OS Grid Reference Finder & Converter: Grid Ref to Lat Long"
description: "Find the OS grid reference of your location or any point on the map, and convert grid references, eastings and northings to latitude and longitude and back. 6, 8 and 10-figure references for Great Britain."
url: https://getmylocations.com/uk-grid-reference
---

Free Tool · Ordnance Survey National Grid

# OS grid reference finder: convert grid references to latitude and longitude

Find the **Ordnance Survey grid reference** of where you are, or of any point on the map, and convert grid references, **eastings and northings** to **GPS latitude and longitude** and back. Gives **6, 8 and 10-figure references** for anywhere in Great Britain. Works on your device; free, no signup.

## Grid reference ⇄ latitude and longitude

Examples:  · · ·

Click anywhere in Great Britain on the map to get its grid reference.

Converted on your device with the Ordnance Survey’s National Grid projection and its standard 7-parameter shift between GPS (WGS84) and the grid’s OSGB36 datum, accurate to about 5 metres, enough for walking, surveys by eye and planning; land surveys that need centimetres use the OS’s OSTN15 model.

## How to read a grid reference

A grid reference such as `NN 166 712`, the summit area of Ben Nevis, has three parts. The two letters name a 100 km square. The first group of digits is the easting, read left to right along the bottom of the map; the second is the northing, read bottom to top. Always read **along the corridor, then up the stairs**.

| Reference | Example | Pinpoints a square of |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4-figure | NN 16 71 | 1 km, one grid square on an OS map |
| 6-figure | NN 166 712 | 100 m, the usual reference for walkers |
| 8-figure | NN 1666 7126 | 10 m, a building or a gate |
| 10-figure | NN 16667 71262 | 1 m, as precise as a GPS fix |

## Eastings and northings to latitude and longitude

Planning applications, surveys and many council and environmental datasets give positions as full eastings and northings, such as `530080, 180337` near Charing Cross. Paste both numbers into the box, separated by a comma or a space, to get the GPS latitude and longitude and the matching grid reference. These are British National Grid values, not UTM: UTM eastings and northings use a different projection and origin, and are converted on the [coordinates converter](https://getmylocations.com/coordinates-converter).

## When grid references are used

-   **Hill walking and mountain rescue:** giving a 6 or 8-figure grid reference tells rescuers exactly where you are on their OS map. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the police, then mountain rescue.
-   **Ordnance Survey paper and digital maps**, from Explorer and Landranger sheets to OS Maps.
-   **Planning, environmental and archaeological records**, which usually store positions as eastings and northings.
-   **Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh and geography fieldwork**, where 4 and 6-figure references are taught first.

## Frequently asked questions

How do I find the grid reference of my location?

Press "My grid reference" and allow location access. The tool converts your phone or computer's GPS position to an Ordnance Survey grid reference in 10, 8, 6 and 4-figure forms. You can also click any point on the map.

How do I convert a grid reference to latitude and longitude?

Type or paste it, with or without spaces, for example TQ 300 803 or TQ300803, and press Convert. A shorter reference stands for a square rather than a point, so the latitude and longitude given are for the centre of that square.

What is the difference between a grid reference and easting/northing?

They describe the same position. Eastings and northings are full distances in metres from the grid's origin south-west of the Isles of Scilly. A grid reference replaces the first digit or two of each with two letters naming a 100 km square, which is shorter to write and read off a map.

How accurate is the conversion?

Within about 5 metres anywhere in Great Britain. The grid sits on an older datum, OSGB36, that differs from GPS by up to about 120 m, and the tool corrects for that with the Ordnance Survey's standard transformation. Work that needs centimetres uses the OS's more detailed OSTN15 model.

Does this work in Northern Ireland or Ireland?

No. The British National Grid covers Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the nearby islands. Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland use the Irish Grid and, more recently, Irish Transverse Mercator, which have different letters and origins.

## Related tools

[

### Coordinates Converter

DMS, UTM, MGRS and more

](https://getmylocations.com/coordinates-converter)[

### What's My Postcode

Your UK postcode and council

](https://getmylocations.com/whats-my-postcode)[

### My Location

Your GPS coordinates and address

](https://getmylocations.com/my-location)[

### UK Crime Map

Crime near any UK postcode

](https://getmylocations.com/crime-map)

AA

Written by

### Ahmed Anwar

Senior software engineer in Karachi. Builds the geolocation tools, mapping pages, and coordinate utilities on GetMyLocations. Writes about GPS, browser geolocation, and IP geolocation from the perspective of someone who ships the code, not the marketing.

This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance, then edited and fact-checked by Ahmed before publication. [More about the author](https://getmylocations.com/about).