Qibla direction in Washington, D.C.

Which way to face

Stand facing 56.6° measured clockwise from true north and you are facing the Kaaba along the shortest path over the earth. In plain terms that is roughly east-northeast from Washington, D.C..

True north, not the compass needle

This bearing is from true (geographic) north. A magnetic compass, including the one in your phone, points to magnetic north, which sits a few degrees off true north depending on where you are. To use a compass here you need to apply Washington, D.C.'s local magnetic declination first. Skip that step and you can be several degrees out without knowing it.

How to find it honestly

• By the sun. The sun's position is a reliable reference that no magnet can disturb. Apps that compute the sun's bearing can point you to the Qibla without a compass at all.
• By a compass, carefully. A magnetic compass works if you account for declination and keep it away from metal, speakers and phone cases.
• By a known mosque. If a nearby mosque's prayer hall is correctly aligned, its direction is a good check.

ImanKeeper's Qibla

ImanKeeper includes a small Qibla finder built to be honest about its own limits. It computes the direction on your device with no network, and when the compass cannot be trusted it says so and withholds the arrow, offering the sun's direction and the plain true-north bearing instead. An arrow that confidently points the wrong way is worse than no arrow, so it does not pretend.

Common questions

Which way is the Qibla in Washington, D.C.?

From Washington, D.C., the Qibla is 56.6 degrees measured clockwise from true north — roughly east-northeast. That is the direction of the shortest great-circle path to the Kaaba in Makkah.

Is the Qibla direction true north or magnetic north?

The 56.6° figure is from true (geographic) north. A magnetic compass points to magnetic north, which differs from true north by the local magnetic declination, so you must add or subtract that declination before using a compass reading in Washington, D.C..

How far is Washington, D.C. from Makkah?

About 10,630 kilometres in a straight great-circle line to the Kaaba.

How accurate is a phone compass for finding the Qibla?

Phone compasses are easily thrown off by nearby metal, magnets, cases and interference, and many people never see the calibration warning. ImanKeeper's Qibla is honest about this: when it cannot trust the reading it withholds the arrow and offers a sun-based method and the exact true-north bearing instead, rather than pointing you confidently in the wrong direction.