Qibla Direction in Degrees: Exact Bearing for 20+ Cities
"East" or "west" only gets you close. Here's the actual compass bearing in degrees — the number a real Qibla calculation gives you — for major cities around the world.
Table of Contents
The Short Answer
Qibla direction, expressed precisely, is a compass bearing in degrees from true north — a number between 0° and 360° — pointing toward the Kaaba in Makkah. It's different for every location on Earth. From New York it's about 58.5°. From Mumbai it's about 280°. From London it's about 119°. Knowing your city's approximate degree gets you far more precise than a general "east" or "west" answer.
Why "East or West" Isn't Precise Enough
Cardinal directions like east, west, or northeast are useful shorthand, but they each cover a 90-degree slice of the compass. Two people who are both technically "facing northeast" could still be 40 or 50 degrees apart from each other — enough to matter for accurate prayer alignment. A degree figure removes that ambiguity entirely. If you want the general cardinal-direction breakdown by region first, see our guide on whether Qibla is east or west for your country.
Qibla Direction in Degrees — City by City
These are calculated using the great-circle bearing to the Kaaba's coordinates (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E). Figures are rounded to one decimal place; always treat them as a close approximation rather than a surveyor's measurement.
| City | Bearing (from true north) | Compass sector |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi, India | 266.6° | West |
| Mumbai, India | 280.1° | West |
| Kolkata, India | 278.2° | West |
| Karachi, Pakistan | 267.7° | West |
| Dhaka, Bangladesh | 277.6° | West |
| Jakarta, Indonesia | 295.2° | West-Northwest |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 292.5° | West-Northwest |
| Dubai, UAE | 258.2° | West-Southwest |
| Cairo, Egypt | 136.1° | Southeast |
| Istanbul, Turkey | 151.6° | South-Southeast |
| London, UK | 119.0° | East-Southeast |
| New York, USA | 58.5° | East-Northeast |
| Chicago, USA | 48.7° | Northeast |
| Houston, USA | 45.5° | Northeast |
| Dearborn, USA | 51.9° | Northeast |
| Los Angeles, USA | 23.9° | North-Northeast |
| Toronto, Canada | 54.6° | Northeast |
| Lagos, Nigeria | 63.3° | East-Northeast |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | 14.6° | North-Northeast |
| Sydney, Australia | 277.5° | West |
How to Read a Bearing Like "58.5°"
A compass bearing is measured clockwise from true north: 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west. So "58.5°" means: stand facing true north, then rotate just under 60° toward the east — you'll land almost exactly between northeast and east-northeast. Most phone compass apps display this as a number in real time as you turn, which is far more exact than eyeballing "roughly northeast."
How the Degree Is Calculated
Every bearing in the table above comes from the same great-circle formula used by accurate Qibla compasses: given your latitude and longitude and the Kaaba's fixed coordinates, the calculation finds the shortest path across the curved surface of the Earth and expresses its initial direction as a bearing. This is why, for example, New York's Qibla points northeast rather than directly across the Atlantic toward Makkah — the shortest real-world path curves north. For a full walkthrough of finding your bearing without an app — including the sun method and printed angle tables — see our complete Qibla direction guide.
Finding Your Own Exact Degree
If your city isn't listed above, or you want a figure specific to your exact address, the most reliable option is a live Qibla compass that calculates the bearing from your device's GPS location rather than a fixed regional estimate. See our worked example for one specific US city in Qibla Direction in Houston, TX.
"East or west" is fine for a rough sense of direction, but a degree figure is what an actual calculation gives you — and it's the only way to know your bearing is accurate rather than approximate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Qibla direction in degrees?
How many degrees is Qibla from New York?
How many degrees is Qibla from India?
What coordinates does Qibla direction calculation use for the Kaaba?
How accurate does my Qibla bearing need to be?
Is the Qibla bearing the same everywhere in a country?
A degree figure won't change how you pray — but it removes the guesswork. Once you know your number, a compass app confirms it in seconds, and you never have to wonder again.
SabrTime's Qibla compass uses your device's location for a precise degree reading — free, no ads, no login.
Open SabrTime