From the Winnipeg city point (49.8951, -97.1384), the Qibla is 40.1° clockwise from true north. That is northeast, leaning slightly toward north. The Kaaba is about 11,025 km away. To get the direction from your home, mosque or hotel, change the starting point in the finder.
Why Winnipeg can show 40.0° or 40.1°
A Qibla bearing belongs to one starting point. The Natural Resources Canada place-name record for Winnipeg supplies a second point: 49°53′04″N, 97°08′47″W, or 49.8844, -97.1464 to four decimals. The record lists the point only. The bearings below come from this finder: 40.0° and about 11,026 km from the NRCan point, and 40.1° and about 11,025 km from the preset at 49.8951, -97.1384. To reproduce the NRCan result:
- Choose Enter coordinates instead.
- Type
49.8844in Latitude and-97.1464in Longitude. West longitudes are negative. - Select Find my Qibla.
Before rounding, the bearings are about 40.052° from the preset and 40.046° from the NRCan point. They differ by only about 0.006°, but they fall on either side of 40.05°, so one rounds up to 40.1° and the other rounds down to 40.0°. Each figure is correct for its own point.
The bearing that matters is the one from where you pray. Enter that point or pick it on the map. To return to the Winnipeg preset, select Use the city centre again.
Read northeast from true north
From the Winnipeg preset, measure 40.1° clockwise from true north. That is northeast, about 4.9° closer to north than the 45° line halfway between north and east.
The direction depends on where you start. From Edmonton’s city point the result is 25.3°, which is north-northeast. Using the rounded values, Winnipeg’s direction is about 14.8° further toward east. The diagram shows both starting directions on a north-up layout. It is not a scale map and it does not follow your phone. For other cities, see Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, or browse the city directory.
A flat world map can make Makkah look east or southeast of Winnipeg, because it lies much farther south. The finder gives something different: the first direction of the shortest route over the Earth’s surface. That route leaves Winnipeg heading northeast and can look curved on a flat map. Why Qibla routes curve on maps explains this in more detail.
Match the number to the north reference
The 40.1° figure is measured from true north. How you use it depends on what you have with you:
- A compass or app set to true north: turn until it reads 40.1° on a 360° scale. Do not add any correction.
- A magnetic compass with no correction set: apply the current magnetic declination for your location once (see NOAA on magnetic declination). Then follow the steps for a separate compass. Dials marked with city numbers or a non-degree scale need their own instructions.
- No reliable compass: choose Open map and use the north-up Nearby view. Line the Qibla direction up with streets or buildings you can see. To change the starting point, move the map and select Use map centre.
The optional live compass needs a phone that provides a supported live magnetic heading, and a valid correction from magnetic to true north for your location. Hold the phone in portrait and nearly level. If the arrow drifts while you hold the phone still, see Qibla compass not working. Location access is optional too. If it is blocked, use Enter coordinates instead. The methodology explains how north is defined.
Keep the right starting point when saving
The two saved formats work differently:
- Download reference card saves a fixed Winnipeg card with the preset point and 40.1° from true north. It does not change if you select another point later.
- Printable reference uses the point selected when you create it and always shows that point’s coordinates, even with the QR code turned off. A QR code with the exact coordinates is added only if you tick its separate confirmation box.
Share city creates a link with the city and country of the selected preset, so it names Winnipeg, Canada while the Winnipeg preset is selected. It contains no latitude or longitude, and the link is not sent automatically. Share location first previews the coordinates, the label and any position uncertainty. The link is created only when you select Create coordinate link. It holds coordinates, not a street address, but coordinates for a home can still point to it precisely. Check what sharing includes before you send one.
Map tiles need internet. If you are travelling, save or print your reference while you still have a connection, and check that it shows both the starting point and the true-north bearing.