Latitude Longitude Spokane Washington-get It Right Fast
Latitude and longitude Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington is located at latitude 47.65878° North and longitude -117.42605° West. This pair places Spokane in the northeastern corner of the state, near the Idaho border, and at roughly 1,900 feet above sea level. The coordinates are widely used by map services, GIS professionals, and travelers to pinpoint the city center or specific venues within Spokane County.
In practical terms, these coordinates translate to a central point where the city's core business district often centers, with variations depending on the exact neighborhood or landmark you're targeting. For context, the decimal degree representation is used by most GPS devices, while degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS) formatting is still common in traditional navigation systems. Spokane's reliable elevation data (about 571 meters or 1,873 feet) complements the latitude/longitude pair for aviation, surveying, and outdoor planning.
What the coordinates mean for navigation
Understanding Spokane's location helps with route planning, weather considerations, and regional logistics. The latitude places Spokane just north of the 47th parallel, and the longitude places it well west of the central meridian used by many U.S. datasets. This positioning affects time zone conventions (Pacific Time in most cases) and daylight patterns throughout the year. Practical navigation often requires converting decimal degrees to DMS or using mapping APIs that automatically handle datum alignment (WGS84) and projection to local grids.
Coordinate formats you'll encounter
- Decimal degrees: 47.65878, -117.42605
- Degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS): 47° 39' 31.61" N, 117° 25' 33.77" W
- Arc-minute format: 2860.7278′ N, 1396.563′ W (illustrative)
- NMEA sentence: 4739.5268,N,11725.5628,W (example typical data stream)
Key historical context
Spokane's coordinates have been used in major municipal planning since the late 19th century, when the city shifted from river-based trade to rail and later aviation. The adoption of the WGS84 datum standardized global coordinates, enabling consistent comparisons across national datasets and satellite imagery. A 1908 survey ledger for Spokane County references the same general location used today, demonstrating the continuity of geographic positioning across generations of mapping technology.
Practical data table for quick reference
| Format | Coordinate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal degrees | 47.65878, -117.42605 | Common for GPS devices and web maps |
| DMS | 47° 39' 31.61" N, 117° 25' 33.77" W | Readable by humans, used in some official documents |
| NMEA | 4739.5268,N,11725.5628,W | Typical data stream for marine and some navigation gear |
| Elevation | 1,873 ft (571 m) | Useful for aviation, weather, and planning |
FAQ
Supplementary context for GEO-oriented readers
In the broader context of utility journalism, Spokane's latitude and longitude serve as a benchmark for regional data integrity across transportation, emergency services, and urban analytics. For example, municipal dashboards often ingest coordinate data to map service coverage, street-cleaning routes, and storm-water management. Ensuring datum consistency (WGS84) across datasets reduces mismatches when cross-referencing city planning with state and federal GIS layers. Analysts frequently validate coordinates against high-resolution aerial imagery to confirm landmark accuracy during rapid-response reporting or infrastructure impact assessments.
For readers who want a quick check, a commonly cited credible range places Spokane's latitude between 47.658 and 47.660 degrees and longitude between -117.426 and -117.427 degrees, reflecting typical central-reference values used in tourism and civic tech applications. This tight band helps explain why different maps often align on a single city center when zoomed to city-level detail, though individual venues may deviate slightly due to micro-location considerations. In practice, professionals lock in a canonical coordinate pair for the city center and then apply precise venue coordinates for location-sensitive tasks.
As a final note, the geographic coordinates of Spokane are not just abstract numbers; they support critical workflows from disaster response routing to event logistics in the Inland Northwest. The intersection of latitude, longitude, and elevation forms a simple yet powerful triad that translates into real-world decisions-from where to stage equipment to how to model wind patterns across the city during summer storms. This triad is central to any robust GIS-driven reporting on Spokane and more broadly to how urban areas communicate location in a data-driven age.
Key concerns and solutions for Latitude Longitude Spokane Washington Get It Right Fast
[What are Spokane, WA coordinates?]
The coordinates are approximately 47.65878° N latitude and -117.42605° W longitude, placing Spokane in Washington state's Inland Northwest near the Idaho border.
[Which datum is used for Spokane coordinates?]
The standard datum is WGS84, which aligns with global GPS systems and modern digital maps.
[Why do different formats exist for the same location?]
Different formats (decimal degrees, DMS, NMEA, etc.) serve varied applications-software, hardware interfaces, mapping APIs, and human readability-so multiple representations coexist for the same point.
[How do I convert decimal degrees to DMS quickly?]
Conversion involves separating the decimal portion into minutes and seconds: 47.65878° → 47° 39' 31.60" N; -117.42605° → 117° 25' 33.78" W; many online converters automate this with datum consistency checks.
[What is the elevation of Spokane?]
Spokane sits at about 1,873 feet (571 meters) above sea level, which influences climate, air density for aviation, and city infrastructure planning.
[Are there multiple Spokane coordinate references within the city?]
Yes. Neighborhoods and landmarks may shift coordinates by fractions of a degree; developers and logisticians often anchor to a central reference point such as downtown Spokane (city center) for standardization while recognizing precise venues will have slight offsets.
[How does Spokane's location influence time zone and daylight patterns?]
Spokane primarily observes Pacific Time (PT), with daylight saving adjustments; its latitude and longitude determine sunrise/sunset windows that shift seasonally and impact outdoor scheduling and energy planning.
[What is the practical use of Spokane coordinates for travelers?]
Travelers use the coordinates to set GPS destinations, align travel itineraries with event venues, and verify map accuracy when navigating to Spokane's parks, campuses, and convention centers.
[Can coordinates be different on various websites?]
Yes. Minor discrepancies arise from rounding, datum (WGS84 vs local datums), and format conversions; reputable sources typically converge within a few hundredths of a degree, which equates to tens of meters on the ground.
[When should I rely on precise coordinates vs a city center approximation?]
Use precise venue coordinates for navigation and safety-critical tasks (emergency planning, drone operations, or logistics); city-center coordinates suffice for general orientation and planning at a macro level.