Bearing to Compass Point Converter

How it is calculated

The bearing is first brought into the range 0 to 360 by taking it modulo 360 and adding 360 if the result is negative, so 370 becomes 10 and −90 becomes 270. The 16 points are 22.5° apart, so index = round(bearing ÷ 22.5) mod 16 picks one from N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW, WSW, W, WNW, NW, NNW. The 8-point answer uses the same idea with round(bearing ÷ 45) mod 8. Each point therefore owns a 22.5° sector centred on it (45° for the 8-point answer), so N covers 348.75° to 11.25°, and exactly 11.25° rounds up to NNE. The tool shows the normalised bearing, the 16-point name and the 8-point name. Any number is accepted, with decimals; the letters follow the page language (English N, E, S, W).

Common mistakes

• Treating the result as an exact direction. A bearing of 250° and one of 258° both read WSW; the name hides up to 11.25° of difference.
• Mixing up true and magnetic north. The tool applies the angle as given; if your reading is magnetic you must apply the local declination yourself before converting.
• Entering 90 for west or 270 for east. Bearings run clockwise from north, so east is 90, south 180, west 270.
• Expecting a bearing such as 11.25 to stay N. The boundary rounds up: 11.25 gives NNE, while 11.24 gives N.
• Confusing a bearing with its back-bearing. A back-bearing is 180° opposite; enter the one you want named.