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Qibla direction in Bismarck

37.33° from true north · north-east · 11,461 km to the Kaaba

Qibla direction in Bismarck

The qibla from Bismarck is 37.33° from true north, towards the north-east. Simply face north and turn 37° to the right. Bismarck is about 11,461 km from the Kaaba. Without a compass, use the sun: on May 28, 2027 at 4:18 AM CDT it stands directly above the Kaaba, so facing the sun means facing the qibla.

Updated
Method
Great circle
Source
MuslimSuite calculation
N E S W

37.33°

Gold arc = 37° from north to the qibla

Three ways to face the qibla from Bismarck

  1. 1. Phone compass

    Open a compass app, move the phone in a figure of 8 to calibrate, keep it away from metal, then turn until the compass reads 37°.

  2. 2. Start from north

    Face north, then turn 37° to the right. A right angle is 90°, so 37° is about a third of a right angle.

  3. 3. The sun's shadow

    Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. At that moment the shadow of any upright object points directly away from the qibla.

    Sun over the Kaaba, 2027

    • · 4:18 AM CDT (the sun is below the horizon in this city)
    • · 4:27 AM CDT (the sun is below the horizon in this city)

Keeping the compass accurate

  • Remove magnetic cases and keep the phone away from laptops, speakers and steel frames.
  • Hold the phone flat. A compass points to magnetic north, while the degrees on this page are measured from true north, so the reading can differ slightly.
  • Compare with the direction of the rows in a nearby mosque.

Qibla direction in nearby cities

CityDistance from BismarckQibla
Mandan 8 km 37.2°
Dickinson 153 km 35.6°
Jamestown 158 km 39.1°
Minot 163 km 36.7°
Aberdeen 232 km 39.5°
Williston 260 km 34.7°
West Fargo 295 km 40.6°

Around Bismarck the qibla is almost the same: it differs by 3.3° at most.

Frequently asked questions

What is the qibla direction from Bismarck in degrees?

37.33° from true north, measured clockwise — towards the north-east.

How can I find the qibla without a compass?

Face north and turn 37° to the right. More precisely, when the sun is directly above the Kaaba the qibla is the direction towards the sun.

When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027, in Bismarck time?

May 28, 2027 at 4:18 AM CDT and July 16, 2027 at 4:27 AM CDT.

What is the difference between true north and compass north?

True north points to the geographic North Pole. A compass needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a slightly different place, so a compass reading can differ from the degrees on this page.

Do I need to share my location to see the qibla?

No. The qibla on this page is calculated from the coordinates of the center of Bismarck, so you only need to pick a city.

Sources & method

  • Kaaba coordinates · 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E

  • Bismarck coordinates · 46.8083; -100.7837 (city center) · GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0

  • Formula · Great-circle azimuth from true north