Free tool · PNG and SVG · Runs in your browser
Location QR code generator
Short answer
Enter a latitude and a longitude in decimal degrees, and the tool writes a geo: link, geo:40.71872,-73.98905, into the code. The ZXing wiki says a geo URI may be used to encode a point on the earth. Each added decimal makes the point ten times more precise and adds one character: our example was 22 characters and Version 2 (25 × 25), and stayed Version 2 (25 × 25) at six decimals. Nothing is uploaded.
Enter a latitude from -90 to 90 and a longitude from -180 to 180.
Nothing is uploaded: the code is drawn in your browser. Codes do not expire and carry no tracking.
Key takeaways
- A geo: link is the word geo, a colon, the latitude, a comma and the longitude. The ZXing wiki's example is Google's New York office at 40.71872 degrees north and 73.98905 degrees west, with an optional height in meters.
- Precision: one degree of latitude is about 111,320 meters, so each decimal place divides the uncertainty by ten. Three decimals is about 111.32 m, four 11.13 m, five 1.11 m and six 0.11 m.
- Longitude degrees shrink away from the equator. At latitude 40.71872 one degree of longitude is about 84372 m, so five decimals of longitude is about 0.84 m.
- The code stays small: three decimals is Version 2 (25 × 25) and six decimals is Version 2 (25 × 25). A location is one of the smallest codes there is.
- Which map app opens, and whether it drops a pin or shows a name, is up to the phone. The code only holds the coordinates.
What the code contains
A location code is a geo: link, a standard way to name a point on earth. The ZXing wiki describes it and gives an example with height.
| Part | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| geo: | geo: | The scheme |
| Latitude | 40.71872 | Degrees north (positive) or south (negative) |
| Longitude | -73.98905 | Degrees east (positive) or west (negative) |
| Height (optional) | ,100 | Meters; the tool does not write it |
The tool writes geo:40.71872,-73.98905 for the example above.
Measured: precision against size
Measured with the qrcode library the tool uses and the jsQR decoder; the method is on the QR code generator page. One decoder is not every phone, so test a print on yours.
Distances use 111,320 m per degree of latitude, an approximation at the equator; longitude shrinks with the cosine of the latitude.
| Decimals | Latitude precision | Longitude precision at 40.71872° | Link length | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 111.32 m | 84.37 m | 18 | Version 2 (25 × 25) |
| 4 | 11.13 m | 8.44 m | 20 | Version 2 (25 × 25) |
| 5 | 1.11 m | 0.84 m | 22 | Version 2 (25 × 25) |
| 6 | 0.11 m | 0.08 m | 22 | Version 2 (25 × 25) |
Latitude 40.71872.
Each extra decimal adds one character and makes the point ten times finer.
Getting the coordinates
- In a map app, press and hold on the spot; most apps show the coordinates in decimal degrees.
- Use decimal degrees, not degrees and minutes. 40.71872 is correct; 40° 43′ 7″ is not.
- Check the signs: south and west are negative.
- Copy five or six decimals, not the whole string.
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Questions people ask
How do I make a QR code for a location?
Enter the latitude and the longitude in decimal degrees, then download the code. Scanning it offers to open the place in a map app.
How many decimals do I need?
Five is about 1.11 m and six is about 0.11 m, measured along a line of latitude.
Does it open Google Maps?
The code holds a geo: link. Which app opens is up to the phone.
Can I add a place name?
The tool writes the coordinates only. A name would need a link to a map page instead.
Why did my code change size with more decimals?
It barely does: Version 2 (25 × 25) at three decimals and Version 2 (25 × 25) at six.
Is my location uploaded?
No. The code is drawn in your browser.
Related
Sources and how we checked
- ZXing wiki: Barcode Contents (read 2026-10-09)
- Denso Wave: Information capacity and versions of the QR Code (read 2026-10-09)
- Denso Wave: Error correction feature (read 2026-10-09)
Reviewed October 9, 2026. The measurements generated codes with the same library the tool uses and read them back with an independent decoder (jsQR). The script and the results are in data/seo/hub/evidence/2026-10-09/qr.