The cardinal points are the four main compass directions: North, South, East, and West. Use the interactive finder below to see the cardinal direction between any two places on Earth, then read on to understand how the full system of cardinal and intercardinal directions works.
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Defining the Cardinal Points
North points toward the geographic North Pole, while South points toward the South Pole in the opposite direction. East is the direction in which the Earth rotates on its axis, and West is the direction opposite to that rotation. When you face East, North is to your left and South is to your right.
Quadrantal Points
In addition to the four cardinal points, there are intermediate directions known as quadrantal points (also called intercardinal or ordinal directions). These include:
- Northeast (NE)
- Southeast (SE)
- Southwest (SW)
- Northwest (NW)
Each intercardinal direction lies exactly halfway between two adjacent cardinal points, at 45° intervals. Northeast, for example, sits midway between North (0°) and East (90°), at 45°.
Further Divisions of Directions
These intercardinal directions can be subdivided even further into secondary intercardinal points. For instance, the direction between North and Northeast is called North-Northeast (NNE), and the direction between Northeast and East is called East-Northeast (ENE). A full 32-point compass rose includes all cardinal, intercardinal, and secondary intercardinal points.
Expressing Relative Directions
The cardinal point system is used to express the relative direction between two points. For example:
If we have two points on the Earth’s surface, we can say that the green point is to the northeast of the red point. Conversely, from the green point’s perspective, the red point is to the southwest.
Examples of Relative Directions
Consider another scenario where an observer at the orange point sees the yellow point to the north. From the yellow point’s perspective, the orange point is to the south.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are cardinal points?
Cardinal points are the four main compass directions: North, South, East, and West. They are the primary reference points used in navigation, maps, and describing the relative position of one place to another.
Why are they called cardinal points?
The word cardinal comes from the Latin cardo, meaning hinge or pivot. The four cardinal directions are the fundamental axes on which all other directions hinge. The term has been used in navigation and astronomy since at least the Middle Ages.
What are intercardinal (quadrantal) points?
Intercardinal points — also called quadrantal or ordinal directions — sit exactly halfway between adjacent cardinal points at 45° intervals: Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), Southwest (SW), and Northwest (NW). Together with the four cardinal points they make up the 8-point compass.
How many points does a compass rose have?
A basic compass has 4 points (N, S, E, W). An 8-point compass adds the intercardinal directions. A 16-point compass adds secondary intercardinal points such as North-Northeast (NNE) and East-Southeast (ESE). A full 32-point compass rose subdivides every direction to 11.25° increments.
What is a compass bearing?
A bearing is the angle measured clockwise from North to the direction of a target, expressed in degrees from 0° to 360°. North is 0°, East is 90°, South is 180°, and West is 270°. The cardinal direction finder above shows both the bearing in degrees and the plain-English direction name.
How do I find the cardinal direction between two places?
Enter the starting location in the From field and the destination in the To field, then click Find Direction. The tool calculates the precise bearing using spherical geometry and converts it to the nearest cardinal or intercardinal direction — for example, “Paris is to the Southeast of London (bearing 138°)”.
Is North always at the top of a map?
By convention, most modern maps place North at the top, but this is not a rule. Historical maps, nautical charts, and some city maps use different orientations. A compass rose on the map always shows where North actually lies relative to the map’s orientation.
What is the difference between true north and magnetic north?
True North points toward the geographic North Pole — the axis around which Earth rotates. Magnetic North points toward the Earth’s magnetic pole, which shifts over time and sits several degrees away from true north depending on your location. This angular difference is called magnetic declination.
Can I share my direction result with someone else?
Yes. After calculating a direction, click Copy share link. The two locations are encoded in the URL — paste the link and the other person will open the same result automatically.
Does the tool work on mobile?
Yes, it is fully responsive. On a phone or tablet you can also tap Use my location to set your current position as the starting point, then enter any destination to find the direction from where you are.
