The 16 compass points with their abbreviations, degrees and full names — type a bearing to find the closest direction.
The compass rose divides the horizon into named directions. The four cardinal points — north (0°), east (90°), south (180°) and west (270°) — are the primary reference. Between them sit the four intercardinal (or ordinal) points: northeast (45°), southeast (135°), southwest (225°) and northwest (315°). Adding the eight secondary intercardinal points brings the total to 16, each 22.5° apart.
This reference table lists all 16 points with their standard abbreviation, full name and bearing in degrees. Type any bearing and the tool tells you which named direction it is closest to — useful for interpreting compass readings, wind directions, property orientations or antenna alignments.
The 16-point system is sufficient for everyday navigation and weather reports. Mariners and aviators use a 32-point system (adding points like north-by-east at 11.25°) or simply state the bearing in degrees, which is unambiguous. The names come from the Italian and Portuguese maritime tradition and are the same worldwide.
Each of the 16 points is separated by 360° / 16 = 22.5°. The closest point to a bearing b is the one at round(b / 22.5) × 22.5 degrees.
Cardinal: N, E, S, W (the four main directions). Intercardinal: NE, SE, SW, NW (the midpoints between them). Adding the eight secondary intercardinal points (NNE, ENE, etc.) gives the 16-point system.
An angle measured clockwise from north. North is 0° (or 360°), east is 90°, south is 180°, west is 270°.
In the standard compass system, yes. A compass shows magnetic north, which differs from true (geographic) north by the local magnetic declination.
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