Coordinate Systems
UTM Zones: Find the Right Zone and EPSG Code
Summary
The UTM zone of a point is floor((longitude + 180)/6) + 1, and its central meridian is 6·zone − 183°. In the Middle East, zones 36N to 40N cover Saudi Arabia, zone 36N covers most of Egypt, and zones 39N and 40N cover the Gulf states. The WGS 84 EPSG code is 32600 + zone in the north and 32700 + zone in the south.
Definition
UTM zone: one of 60 six-degree longitude bands, each with its own Transverse Mercator projection centred on its central meridian.
- Zone = floor((λ+180)/6)+1
- CM = 6·zone − 183°
- North EPSG = 32600 + zone
- South EPSG = 32700 + zone
Zone table: Middle East and North Africa
| Zone | Longitude range | Central meridian | EPSG (N) | Typical areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35N | 24°E – 30°E | 27°E | 32635 | Western Egypt, eastern Libya |
| 36N | 30°E – 36°E | 33°E | 32636 | Cairo, Nile Delta, Sinai, Jordan, NW Saudi Arabia |
| 37N | 36°E – 42°E | 39°E | 32637 | Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Syria, Iraq west |
| 38N | 42°E – 48°E | 45°E | 32638 | Riyadh, Qassim, Kuwait, Baghdad |
| 39N | 48°E – 54°E | 51°E | 32639 | Dammam, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi west |
| 40N | 54°E – 60°E | 57°E | 32640 | Dubai, eastern UAE, Oman |
Projects that cross a zone boundary
A long road or pipeline may cross from one zone to the next. Options are: keep the whole project in one zone (accepting larger scale distortion near the far end), split the project with a clear transition, or use a custom Transverse Mercator or site grid centred on the project. National mapping agencies often define a preferred zone for each region.
Latitude bands
The Military Grid Reference System adds latitude band letters (C to X, 8° each) to UTM, for example 38R for Riyadh. Many GPS units show “38R”; note that the R is a latitude band, not “south”. Hemisphere for EPSG purposes is N for bands N to X and S for bands C to M.
Worked example
Riyadh at 46.6753° E is in zone floor(226.6753/6)+1 = 38, central meridian 45° E, EPSG:32638 (E 669,459.6, N 2,734,271.7). Forcing the same point into zone 37 gives E 1,277,820.5, almost 1 280 km from that zone’s centre, where distortion is large.
FAQ
What UTM zone is Cairo in?
Cairo (31.24° E) is in zone 36N, EPSG:32636 for WGS 84.
What UTM zone is Dubai in?
Dubai (55.3° E) is in zone 40N, EPSG:32640.
Does “38R” mean southern hemisphere?
No. R is an MGRS latitude band covering 24°N to 32°N. Bands N to X are all in the northern hemisphere; bands C to M are southern.
Can I use a neighbouring zone?
Yes, for continuity near a boundary, but scale distortion increases quickly beyond about 1° outside the zone.
Related tools and articles
Tools
- Lat/Long to UTMConvert geographic coordinates to UTM.
- Coordinate TransformationConvert between EPSG coordinate systems.
- Coordinate Systems HubBrowse national and global CRSs.
Articles
- UTM Coordinate System ExplainedUTM divides the world between 80°S and 84°N into 60 zones, each 6° of longitude wide and projected with a Tran…
- Transverse Mercator ProjectionThe Transverse Mercator (TM) projection wraps a cylinder around the Earth touching a chosen central meridian. …
- EPSG:32637Reference topic
- KSA-GRF17: Saudi Arabia Geodetic Reference FrameKSA-GRF17 is the national geodetic reference frame of Saudi Arabia, defined by GEOSA and aligned to ITRF2014 a…
References
- NGA. The Universal Grids and the Transverse Mercator and Polar Stereographic Map Projections, NGA.SIG.0012.
- IOGP. EPSG Geodetic Parameter Dataset, epsg.org.
Cite this page
GeoCAD Bridge. “UTM Zones: Find the Right Zone and EPSG Code.” GeoCAD Bridge Knowledge Center, updated 2026-10-05. https://www.geocadbridge.com/knowledge/coordinate-systems-utm-zones/