My CSV shows up in the wrong location when I import to GIS. Why?

Your GIS software likely assumed the wrong coordinate system. If your CSV has projected coordinates (large numbers like UTM), but you imported as WGS84 lat/lon, the points will appear near 0,0 (off the coast of Africa). Use Projection Finder to identify the correct CRS.

How do I convert CSV coordinates from one projection to another?

Use Projection Finder to first identify your current CRS. Once identified, you can export as WGS84 GeoJSON which can be converted back to CSV in any GIS tool. Or use Python with pyproj, or QGIS's vector reprojection tools.

How to Find the Coordinate System of a CSV File (Lat/Lon vs Projected)

Q: How do I know if my CSV has lat/lon or projected coordinates?

Check the coordinate values. Lat/lon (geographic) coordinates have X between -180 to 180 and Y between -90 to 90. Projected coordinates (like UTM) are large numbers, typically 100,000+. Column names like 'lat', 'lon', 'latitude', 'longitude' suggest WGS84. Names like 'easting', 'northing', 'x', 'y' suggest projected coordinates.

Q: What coordinate system should I use for GPS data in CSV?

GPS data is typically in WGS84 (EPSG:4326). If your CSV has latitude/longitude from a GPS device, phone, or Google Maps, it's almost certainly WGS84. Latitude values range from -90 to 90, longitude from -180 to 180.

Published: January 2025 Read time: 6 minutes

You have a CSV file with X and Y coordinate columns, but when you import it into QGIS, ArcGIS, or Google Earth—nothing shows up where you expect. Or worse, your points appear in the middle of the ocean somewhere near 0°, 0°.

The problem? Your GIS software doesn't know what coordinate system (CRS) those numbers represent. And unlike Shapefiles, CSV files have no built-in way to store projection metadata.

This guide shows you how to identify the coordinate system of any CSV file, whether it's lat/lon, UTM, State Plane, or something else entirely.

Quick Solution: Use Projection Finder
Why CSV Files Are Tricky
How to Identify the CRS
Common CSV Coordinate Formats
How to Import CSV to GIS Correctly
FAQ

Quick Solution: Use Projection Finder

Projection Finder handles CSV files automatically:

Auto-detects coordinate columns (lat/lon, x/y, easting/northing)
Analyzes coordinate ranges to identify geographic vs. projected CRS
Previews on a map so you can visually confirm the location is correct
Suggests likely projections based on coordinate patterns

Just drag and drop your CSV file—no signup, no uploads to servers. Everything runs in your browser.

Try Projection Finder Now

Drop your CSV and see where your points land on the map. Free, instant, 100% browser-based.

Open Projection Finder

Why CSV Files Are Tricky

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain text format. It stores data in rows and columns—nothing more. Unlike GIS-specific formats:

No projection metadata — There's nowhere to store CRS info
No standard column names — Could be lat/lon, x/y, easting/northing, or anything
Numbers are just numbers — 552474.23 could be UTM meters or State Plane feet

This means you (or your GIS software) have to guess what coordinate system the data uses. And if you guess wrong, your points appear in the wrong place—or don't appear at all.

Common mistake: Importing projected coordinates as WGS84. If your CSV has UTM values like 552474, 4182938 but you tell QGIS they're lat/lon, your points will appear near 0°N, 0°E—in the Gulf of Guinea.

How to Identify the CRS

Step 1: Look at the Column Names

Column headers often reveal the coordinate system:

Column Names	Likely CRS
`lat, lon` / `latitude, longitude`	WGS84 (EPSG:4326)
`y, x` (in that order)	Usually geographic (lat/lon)
`easting, northing`	Projected (UTM, State Plane, etc.)
`x, y` (generic)	Could be anything—check values

Step 2: Examine the Coordinate Values

The number ranges are the biggest clue:

Geographic Coordinates (Lat/Lon)

lat,lon
37.7749,-122.4194
51.5074,-0.1278
35.6762,139.6503

Characteristics:

Latitude: -90 to +90
Longitude: -180 to +180
Usually has decimal points
Relatively small numbers

This is almost certainly WGS84 (EPSG:4326)—the same CRS used by GPS devices and Google Maps.

Projected Coordinates (Meters/Feet)

easting,northing
552474.23,4182938.15
529090.00,181440.00
1929418.50,287864.30

Characteristics:

Large numbers (typically 100,000+)
Often 6-7 digits
No obvious lat/lon ranges

This is a projected CRS—likely UTM, State Plane, or a national grid. You'll need more context to identify which one.

Step 3: Use Context Clues

Ask yourself:

Where should this data be? — If it's California data, check UTM Zone 10N or California State Plane
Where did the data come from? — Survey data often uses local projected systems; GPS data is usually WGS84
What units? — US survey data might be in feet; European data is usually meters

Step 4: Verify on a Map

The only way to be certain is to preview your data on a map. If you guessed wrong, the points will be in the wrong place.

Projection Finder does this automatically—it shows where your CSV coordinates land on a world map, and lets you try different projections if the first guess is wrong.

Common CSV Coordinate Formats

WGS84 Lat/Lon (Most Common for GPS Data)

name,latitude,longitude
"San Francisco",37.7749,-122.4194
"London",51.5074,-0.1278
"Tokyo",35.6762,139.6503

EPSG:4326 — Used by GPS, Google Maps, most web services

UTM Coordinates

site_id,easting,northing,zone
A001,552474.23,4182938.15,10N
A002,553102.87,4183456.22,10N

EPSG:326XX (where XX is the zone number) — Common for survey data

US State Plane (Feet)

parcel_id,x_ft,y_ft
12345,6543210.5,2345678.9
12346,6543890.2,2346012.1

EPSG varies by state/zone — Common for US county/city government data

British National Grid

id,easting,northing
1,529090,181440
2,530120,182350

EPSG:27700 — Common for UK Ordnance Survey data

How to Import CSV to GIS Correctly

In QGIS

Go to Layer → Add Layer → Add Delimited Text Layer
Select your CSV file
Under "Geometry Definition", choose the X and Y columns
Set the correct CRS — This is critical. Don't just accept the default
Click "Add"

Don't know the CRS? Use Projection Finder first to identify it, then enter that EPSG code in QGIS.

In ArcGIS Pro

Right-click your CSV in the Catalog pane
Select Create Points From Table
Choose X and Y coordinate columns
Under "Coordinate System", click the globe icon and select the correct CRS
Run the tool

In Python (GeoPandas)

import pandas as pd
import geopandas as gpd
from shapely.geometry import Point

# Read CSV
df = pd.read_csv('data.csv')

# Create geometry
geometry = [Point(xy) for xy in zip(df['longitude'], df['latitude'])]

# Create GeoDataFrame with correct CRS
gdf = gpd.GeoDataFrame(df, geometry=geometry, crs='EPSG:4326')

# If your data is in UTM, use the appropriate EPSG
# gdf = gpd.GeoDataFrame(df, geometry=geometry, crs='EPSG:32610')

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my CSV has lat/lon or projected coordinates?

Check the values. Lat/lon has X between -180 to 180 and Y between -90 to 90. Projected coordinates are large numbers (100,000+). Column names like "lat", "lon" suggest WGS84; "easting", "northing" suggest projected.

My CSV shows up at 0,0 in the ocean. What happened?

You imported projected coordinates (like UTM) as if they were lat/lon. A value like 552474 interpreted as longitude puts you way off the map. Use Projection Finder to identify the correct CRS.

What coordinate system does GPS use?

GPS devices output WGS84 (EPSG:4326) coordinates—latitude and longitude in degrees. If your CSV came from a GPS device, phone, or Google Maps, it's almost certainly WGS84.

Can I convert CSV coordinates to a different projection?

Yes. First identify the source CRS using Projection Finder, then use QGIS, ArcGIS, or Python (pyproj/GeoPandas) to reproject to your target CRS.

Stop Guessing Your CSV Projection

Projection Finder auto-detects coordinate columns and shows exactly where your points land on the map.

Try Projection Finder Free

Summary

To find the coordinate system of a CSV file:

Check column names — "lat/lon" suggests WGS84; "easting/northing" suggests projected
Examine values — Small numbers = geographic; large numbers = projected
Use context — Consider where the data should be and where it came from
Verify on a map — Preview to confirm points appear in the right location

Or use Projection Finder to do all this automatically.

Related Guides

Related Resources

EPSG.io — Search and lookup EPSG codes
spatialreference.org — CRS definitions in multiple formats
I Hate Coordinate Systems — Troubleshooting guide for projection problems