EPSG:4326 vs EPSG:4258 — WGS 84 vs ETRS89
Both EPSG:4326 (WGS 84) and EPSG:4258 (ETRS89) are geographic CRSs expressed as longitude/latitude in degrees, so the numbers look the same and most software treats them interchangeably. The difference is the datum's reference frame: WGS 84 is global and tracks the whole Earth, while ETRS89 is fixed to the stable part of the Eurasian tectonic plate. Because that plate drifts a few centimeters per year, WGS 84 and ETRS89 coordinates for the same European point slowly diverge — they were defined as coincident in 1989 and are now offset by a few tens of centimeters. For web mapping the difference is negligible; for surveying or centimeter-accurate work in Europe it is not.
| Property | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:4258 |
|---|---|---|
| EPSG code | EPSG:4326 | EPSG:4258 |
| Name | WGS 84 | ETRS89 |
| Type | Geographic | Geographic |
| Units | degrees | degrees |
| Datum | WGS 84 | ETRS89 |
| Area of use | Worldwide | Europe (ETRS89 zone) |
| proj4 | +proj=longlat +datum=WGS84 +no_defs | +proj=longlat +ellps=GRS80 +no_defs |
When to use EPSG:4326
Use EPSG:4326 for global data, GPS output, GeoJSON, and any case where worldwide consistency matters more than centimeter accuracy in a single region.
When to use EPSG:4258
Use EPSG:4258 for official European datasets (INSPIRE, national mapping agencies) and survey-grade work in Europe, where a plate-fixed datum keeps coordinates stable over time and matches the authoritative source data.
Converting between EPSG:4326 and EPSG:4258 is a reprojection, not a relabel. Convert and reproject a file or detect your CRS.
Frequently asked questions
Are EPSG:4326 and EPSG:4258 the same?
Practically the same for most uses — both are lat/lng in degrees and were coincident in 1989. They differ by only a few tens of centimeters today because ETRS89 is fixed to the Eurasian plate while WGS 84 is global. For web mapping it doesn't matter; for survey accuracy it does.
Why do WGS 84 and ETRS89 drift apart?
ETRS89 is anchored to the stable part of the Eurasian tectonic plate, which moves a few centimeters per year relative to the global WGS 84 frame. The two were defined to match in 1989 and have been slowly diverging since.
Do I need to reproject between 4326 and 4258?
For most web and visualization work, no — the offset is sub-meter and within typical tolerances. For surveying, cadastral, or centimeter-accurate engineering work in Europe, a proper datum transformation is required.
Which one does European open data use?
European public-sector data under INSPIRE and most national mapping agencies use ETRS89 (often via its projected UTM zones like EPSG:25832). WGS 84 is more common for global and consumer GPS data.