Nether calculator
Convert coordinates between the Overworld and the Nether. One block in the Nether is eight blocks in the Overworld. So you know where your portal should go, and how much shorter the trip through the Nether is.
In Java, press F3 and look at Block. It shows X, Y and Z of the block you are standing on.
Linking a portal
This is how it works in Java Edition. Bedrock Edition searches in a different way, so the distances can differ there.
Saved places
Saves the coordinates above, only in this browser.
| Place | Overworld | Nether | Actions |
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How it is calculated
History and fun facts
Coordinates: the idea of Descartes
In 1637 the French philosopher René Descartes described how to point to any place with numbers along axes. That is why such numbers are called Cartesian coordinates.
Minecraft uses the same system. X runs from west to east, Z from north to south and Y is the height. In Java, F3 shows where you are.
Scale and maps
A map is a smaller version of the real world. On a map with a scale of 1 to 8, every centimeter is eight centimeters in reality.
The Nether works like such a smaller map. One step in the Nether is eight steps in the Overworld. Only the height does not scale.
The arrival of the Nether
The Nether came to Minecraft with the Halloween Update on 30 October 2010, still in the Alpha version. Since then players build a portal of obsidian and light it to travel there.
Because distances in the Nether are eight times shorter, it soon became the fastest way to travel far. Builders made tunnels and highways from portal to portal.
Linking portals
When you go through a portal, the game works out where you come out on the other side. Then it looks nearby for an existing portal. In Java that is within 16 blocks in the Nether and within 128 blocks in the Overworld.
If the game finds nothing, it builds a portal itself. That one often ends up in an awkward spot. That is why players work out in advance where to build their own portal.
Highways in the Nether
On large servers players build long, straight tunnels in the Nether. They often follow the axes, starting from the point 0, 0. That way you quickly reach a base that is thousands of blocks away in the Overworld.
Since the Nether Update (1.16) of June 2020, the Nether has its own biomes, such as the crimson forest and the basalt deltas. That makes the trip nicer to look at too.
Did you know?
- The Nether arrived in Minecraft on 30 October 2010 with the Halloween Update.
- A Nether portal needs a frame of at least 4 wide and 5 high.
- The Nether has a floor and a ceiling of bedrock.
- The Nether Update (1.16) was released in June 2020.
- René Descartes described the coordinate system in 1637.
- Walking 1,000 blocks in the Nether equals 8,000 blocks in the Overworld.
About this tool
The Nether calculator is a free Minecraft Nether coordinate calculator. You enter X, Y and Z and see right away where you come out in the other dimension. It works from the Overworld to the Nether and the other way around. Swap changes the direction.
One block in the Nether stands for eight blocks in the Overworld. That is why the calculator divides X and Z by 8 and rounds down, also for negative numbers. Y stays the same. The tool warns you when that height does not fit between Y 1 and 122 in the Nether.
Linking a portal tells you step by step where to build your portal, so the two portals get linked to each other. That way you do not end up at a portal the game placed itself in an awkward spot. You also see how many fewer blocks you walk to 0, 0.
With Saved places you store coordinates with a name, only in your own browser. It is handy for your base, your village and your farms. With Copy link you share the calculation with friends.
At the bottom you see exactly how it is calculated. That way you learn to work out Nether portal coordinates yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Overworld coordinates to the Nether?
Divide X and Z by 8 and round down. Y stays the same. Example: X 800, Z −1000 becomes X 100, Z −125 in the Nether.
Why do I come out at the wrong portal?
Java searches around the calculated point for the nearest portal: within 16 blocks in the Nether and within 128 blocks in the Overworld. If another portal is closer, the game picks that one. Build your portal exactly on the calculated point to avoid this.
Do I divide the Y coordinate by 8 too?
No. The height does not scale. Note that in the Nether a portal only fits between Y 1 and 122, because there is bedrock above and below. In that case pick a height as close as possible.
Where do I find my coordinates?
In Java, press F3 and look at Block. It shows X, Y and Z of the block you are standing on. In Bedrock, turn on Show Coordinates in the world settings.
Does the calculator work in Bedrock too?
The 1 to 8 ratio is the same in Bedrock. Bedrock only searches for portals in a different way, so the search distances can differ. The coordinate conversion itself is correct.
How much faster do I travel through the Nether?
Over the ground you walk eight times less. A base 4,000 blocks away is only 500 blocks away in the Nether. The calculator shows how many fewer blocks you walk to 0, 0.