How do I use a north arrow without confusing the top of the page with north?
Quick answer
A map’s top edge is not automatically north. Find the north arrow and use the direction it points as north for that map. Then work out the other directions from it: east is a quarter-turn clockwise from north, south is opposite north, and west is a quarter-turn counterclockwise. If the arrow has a label, check it; some USGS topographic maps distinguish true, grid, and magnetic north. [S1][S2]
The question, the details, the next step.
I’m looking at a map and keep assuming the top of the page is north. How should I use the north arrow instead?
Treat the arrow—not the paper’s top edge—as your starting point. Find the arrow marked north, then imagine that direction extending out from the map. The other directions follow around it: east is a quarter-turn clockwise from north, south is opposite north, and west is a quarter-turn counterclockwise. North-at-the-top is a common map convention, but it is not guaranteed, so check the particular map. [S1]
For a map with north pointing right, for example, east points down the page, south points left, and west points up. That may feel unusual because the page edges don’t match your usual mental picture, but the arrow gives you the map’s orientation.
Can you show that with a simple made-up map and a place on it?
Sure. Imagine a fictional map with a north arrow pointing toward the right-hand edge:
WEST
↑
|
SOUTH ← [PARK] → NORTH
|
↓
EASTThe diagram is a little unusual on purpose: the arrow points right, so right is north. From the park, the library shown below it on the page would be east; a school above it would be west. A place to the left would be south. These are directions relative to the map, not clues about which edge of the paper is “up.”
What if the arrow has a label like true north or magnetic north? Are those labels interchangeable?
Don’t assume they mean the same thing. USGS explains that some USGS topographic maps show arrows for true, grid, and magnetic north, which are distinct directions. Check the label and follow the map’s own notation rather than treating every north arrow as interchangeable. [S2]
The guidance here is limited: it explains how to read the arrow’s role, not how to convert between those kinds of north or navigate using a specific map. If you need that level of precision, consult the map’s legend or instructions for that map.
How can I practise without getting mixed up by the page orientation?
Cover the page edges with your hand or turn the map so the north arrow points up. Then practise naming directions from a marked place. For an extra check, uncover the page edges: the answers should still follow the arrow, even if north points sideways or down.
Short exercise: Use the fictional map above. The park is in the middle, north points right, and a pond is below the park on the page. Which direction is the pond from the park? Since right is north, down is east: the pond is east of the park.
Copyable practice: “On this map, north points [direction on page]. The [place] is [direction on page] of the [starting place], so it is [cardinal direction] of it.” Fill in the blanks using the arrow first, then the positions of the places.
A practical checklist
Find the north arrow before deciding which way is north.
Read any label attached to the arrow; don’t assume different north labels are interchangeable.
Use the arrow’s direction as north, even if it points sideways or down the page.
Work out east, south, and west from north before describing where a place lies.
Check your answer by tracing the direction from the starting place to the other place.
A few more useful answers
If the map has no north arrow, should I assume the top is north?
No. North-at-the-top is a convention, not a guarantee. Look for orientation information in the map’s legend or accompanying instructions; the page alone may not tell you.
Does turning the map change which direction its arrow marks as north?
No. Turning the page changes where the arrow points relative to you, but north remains the direction indicated by the arrow on the map.
Why might a map show more than one north arrow?
Some USGS topographic maps distinguish true, grid, and magnetic north. Check the labels and the map’s own explanation rather than treating the arrows as identical. [S2]
Sources
References used for this guide.
- [S1] What Do Maps Show? — U.S. Geological Survey usgs.gov · Checked
- [S2] What Do the Different North Arrows on a USGS Topographic Map Mean? usgs.gov · Checked