About the direction from Detroit
Detroit lies beside the Detroit River near the Canadian border. The river is not aligned with the great-circle route to Makkah; the displayed bearing is calculated for the US city center.
How to face 52° in Detroit
- Find true north using a phone compass that reports true heading or a map aligned to north.
- Turn clockwise from north by 52°. For reference, due east is 90°, south 180°, west 270°.
- If you use a magnetic compass, adjust for local magnetic declination; NOAA's declination calculator gives the current value for Detroit.
The figure is the great-circle initial bearing, the standard approach described by Movable Type Scripts and the same idea behind Google's Qibla Finder. See how it works for the details.
Common questions
What is the Qibla direction in Detroit?
From the approximate city center of Detroit, the Qibla is 52.0° clockwise from true north, roughly northeast.
How far is Detroit from the Kaaba?
About 10,822 km along the great circle, the shortest path over the Earth's surface.
Does the bearing change across Detroit?
Yes. This figure uses the city center, not your exact position. The difference depends on your distance from the center and from Makkah; it can be noticeable in cities close to the Kaaba, especially Jeddah. Use the live finder for your own location.