Degrees to Bearing Calculator

Bearings are used in navigation, surveying, and engineering to describe the direction from one point to another. This calculator converts degrees to bearing notation, which is commonly used in compass readings and map coordinates.

What is Bearing?

A bearing is a measurement of direction expressed in degrees from a reference point, typically north. Bearings are used in navigation, surveying, and engineering to describe the direction from one point to another.

Bearings are usually expressed in one of two formats:

Whole circle bearings (0° to 360°): Measured clockwise from north.
Reduced bearings (0° to 90°): Measured from the nearest cardinal direction (north, east, south, or west).

For example, a bearing of 45° from north is written as N45°E, while a bearing of 225° from north is written as S45°W.

How to Convert Degrees to Bearing

Converting degrees to bearing notation involves determining the cardinal direction and the angle from that direction. Here's the step-by-step process:

Determine the quadrant of the angle:
- 0° to 90°: Northeast (NE)
- 90° to 180°: Southeast (SE)
- 180° to 270°: Southwest (SW)
- 270° to 360°: Northwest (NW)
Calculate the angle from the nearest cardinal direction.
Combine the cardinal direction and the angle to form the bearing notation.

Formula

Bearing = Cardinal Direction + (Angle mod 90)°

Where:

Cardinal Direction is determined by the quadrant of the angle.
Angle mod 90 calculates the remainder after dividing by 90.

For example, converting 135° to bearing notation:

135° falls in the second quadrant (90° to 180°), so the cardinal direction is SE.
135 mod 90 = 45°.
The bearing notation is SE45°.

Bearing Notation Examples

Here are some examples of degrees converted to bearing notation:

Degrees	Bearing Notation	Description
0°	N	Due north
45°	NE45°	45° northeast
90°	E	Due east
135°	SE45°	45° southeast
180°	S	Due south
225°	SW45°	45° southwest
270°	W	Due west
315°	NW45°	45° northwest

Common Bearings

Here are some common bearings and their meanings:

N (0°): Due north
NE (45°): Northeast
E (90°): Due east
SE (135°): Southeast
S (180°): Due south
SW (225°): Southwest
W (270°): Due west
NW (315°): Northwest

These bearings are commonly used in navigation, surveying, and engineering to describe directions.

FAQ

What is the difference between a bearing and a heading?: A bearing is a measurement of direction from one point to another, while a heading is the direction in which a vehicle or aircraft is pointing. Bearings are typically measured clockwise from north, while headings can be measured from any reference point.
How do I convert a bearing to degrees?: To convert a bearing to degrees, you need to know the cardinal direction and the angle from that direction. For example, SE45° would be 135° (90° for east plus 45°).
What is the difference between whole circle bearings and reduced bearings?: Whole circle bearings are measured from 0° to 360° clockwise from north, while reduced bearings are measured from 0° to 90° from the nearest cardinal direction (north, east, south, or west).
How do I use bearings in navigation?: Bearings are used in navigation to describe the direction from one point to another. They are typically measured using a compass and can be used to plot courses and determine positions.
What is the difference between a magnetic bearing and a true bearing?: A magnetic bearing is measured using a magnetic compass, which is affected by local magnetic fields. A true bearing is measured using a gyrocompass or other non-magnetic reference, which provides a more accurate measurement of the direction from north.