These New York City figures use an approximate reference point in Manhattan. From there, the Qibla is 58.5° clockwise from true north, which is east-northeast. The finder starts at this reference point. If you will pray somewhere else in the city, set that point in the finder by map or coordinates to get its own bearing.
Why the route starts northeast from New York
58.5° clockwise from true north is east-northeast, about 31.5° north of due east. It is the starting heading of the shortest route over the globe, a great circle, from the New York reference to the Kaaba. Along that route the heading keeps changing, so it can begin northeast even though Mecca is at a lower latitude than New York.
Many people expect the direction to be southeast, because Mecca seems to lie southeast of New York on a familiar world map. The difference comes from how that map is drawn. On a north-up Mercator world map, a straight line keeps a constant true heading. That kind of line is called a rhumb line. A straight line from New York to Mecca on that map heads south of due east, but it follows a different and longer path than the great circle. On the same map, the great-circle route from New York to the Kaaba appears curved, starting out north of due east, so a ruler laid across the map is not a reliable Qibla check from here. Google’s Qibla Finder help also explains why great-circle routes often look curved on flat maps.
To check the direction locally, select Open map in the finder and choose Nearby. This north-up view draws up to 3 km of the route’s first stretch from your selected point. Full route shows the whole path in global context, which helps explain the curve but is less useful for orienting yourself in a room.
The diagram above shows how the starting point changes the answer. New York is at 58.5° and Chicago is at 48.7°, both measured from true north. The difference of about 9.8° comes from the change of origin, not from compass calibration. For a fuller explanation of map shapes, read why Qibla routes curve on maps.
Choose the point where you will pray
The New York reference is 40.7128, -74.0060, an approximate point in Manhattan that the site uses to represent New York City, as shown on the NYC Open Data Borough Boundaries. It stands for the city, not New York State, and it will not match your home or hotel exactly.
If you are staying in Queens or living in Brooklyn, for example, set your own point:
- Select Enter coordinates instead.
- Enter Latitude first and Longitude second. New York is west of Greenwich, so its longitude is a negative number.
- Select Find my Qibla.
You can also use the map. Select Open map, pan until the centre is over the place where you will pray, then select Use map centre. Panning alone does not change the origin. Either way, the finder then shows the bearing and line for your point rather than for the Manhattan reference.
Search city presets looks up only the site’s list of cities. It does not find street addresses, hotels or venues. Use my location is optional and asks for your device position only when you press it. A location fix tells the finder where you are, not which way your phone is facing. Use the city centre again returns the finder to the New York reference. The reference panel at the top of the page always stays at the city point. To decide which approach suits you, see city preset or current location.
Use the right north reference
The 58.5° figure is measured clockwise from true north, with north at 0° and east at 90°. An ordinary magnetic compass points to magnetic north instead. The angle between the two is magnetic declination. NOAA explains that declination varies by location and changes over time, and that east declination counts as positive.
This means an unadjusted magnetic compass will not show 58.5° when it faces the Qibla. To get the dial reading, subtract the current local declination from the true bearing. The separate-compass guide covers that step in full. If your compass is already set to true north, use 58.5° unchanged. Apply the correction once only, and never adjust a reading that has already been corrected.
Enable live compass applies its own bundled magnetic-model correction, so do not subtract declination from its guidance again. It works only on a device with supported magnetic heading data and a valid correction. Keep the screen flat or nearly level, with the phone in portrait orientation. Guidance pauses if the phone tilts by more than about 5°, and nearby metal can disturb readings. If the compass misbehaves, see Qibla compass not working.
You do not need a heading sensor for the number or the map line, because both work from the selected point alone. Granting location permission does not give your phone a compass. The methodology explains how the site handles north references.
Keep the result you actually used
Three parts of this page stay fixed at the New York reference (40.7128, -74.0060): the reference panel at the top, the New York and Chicago diagram, and the downloadable city card. They do not change when you move the finder to another point.
Choose the output that matches the point you used:
- Printable reference uses the finder’s active point and prints its coordinates, even if you leave the QR code off. Adding a coordinate QR code needs a separate confirmation.
- Share city sends only the city and country currently selected in the finder, with no coordinates. If you have picked a different preset, it shares that city. It is unavailable while the finder is using typed coordinates, a device fix or a map point.
- Share location previews the active point. Create coordinate link makes a link that contains that point’s coordinates and label, plus any positive uncertainty radius attached to the selected point.
Anyone who receives a coordinate link or QR code can see those coordinates, so check before you forward one. The privacy notes on sharing explain what each option includes. A link you have already copied keeps its original point and will not update if you change the finder later.