Qibla Direction

What is the Qibla?

Qibla (القبلة) means direction in Arabic. In Islam, it refers specifically to the direction of the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Facing the Qibla is a requirement (fard) for the validity of the five daily prayers.

"So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it [in prayer]."
— Quran 2:144

Why Does the Qibla Point Northeast from the US?

The Earth is a sphere. The shortest path between two points on a sphere is a great circle arc — not a straight line on a flat map.

Mecca sits at approximately 21°N latitude, 40°E longitude. From New York (40°N, 74°W), the great circle route to Mecca travels northeast across the Atlantic — not east or southeast. On a flat Mercator map this is counterintuitive, but on a globe, northeast genuinely is shorter. The northwest African coast and the Mediterranean are landmarks along this great circle path.

From the Western US (Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle), the Qibla is more northerly (~20–30°) because the Pacific route east would be even longer.

How Qibla Bearing Is Calculated

The bearing uses the inverse haversine / atan2 formula applied to a sphere:

bearing = atan2(
  sin(Δlong) × cos(lat₂),
  cos(lat₁) × sin(lat₂) − sin(lat₁) × cos(lat₂) × cos(Δlong)
)

Inputs: your latitude/longitude, and the Kaaba's fixed coordinates (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E). The formula yields the initial bearing following the great circle from your location to the Kaaba.

Qibla Bearings for Major US Cities

Using a Compass vs. Phone App

Most phone compass apps default to magnetic north, not true north. The bearing shown by this tool is relative to true north. Magnetic declination varies across the US from about +20° in Maine to −16° in Washington state. For prayer purposes the difference is small enough that a phone compass is sufficient.

Best practice: use a dedicated prayer app (like the settings panel on any Prayer Times Near Me city page) which accounts for magnetic declination automatically. You can also learn more about how prayer times are derived in our guide on how Islamic prayer times are calculated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What direction is the Qibla in the US?

The Qibla from the United States points northeast — roughly 50–70° from true north for most of the contiguous US. This surprises many people who assume the Qibla points east or southeast because Mecca is to the 'right' on a flat map. On a globe (great circle route), the shortest path from North America to Mecca goes northeast.

Is the Qibla due east in the US?

No. Due east would be incorrect for US-based prayers. The Qibla from New York is approximately 58° (northeast), from Chicago approximately 50°, from Los Angeles approximately 24° (north-northeast). The flat map is misleading — the globe's curvature makes northeast the correct direction.

How do I find the Qibla without a compass?

Face sunrise in the morning (roughly east), then turn slightly left (north) — you are now approximately facing the Qibla from the Eastern US. For more precision, use a compass app on your phone. The sun rises slightly north of due east in summer and slightly south in winter.

Does the Qibla face the Kaaba directly?

Yes — the Qibla is the direction of the Kaaba in the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia (21.4225°N, 39.8262°E). The calculation uses the great circle (shortest path on a sphere) between your location and the Kaaba.

What is the ruling if I prayed in the wrong Qibla direction?

If you made a genuine effort to determine the Qibla and prayed, your prayer is valid even if you were slightly off. If you had no means of determining the direction, scholars say to make your best estimate. Deliberately praying away from the Qibla invalidates the prayer.