Compass points

Capitalize when the compass points refer to

• part of an address:
  • 150 East Dundas Street
  • 111 King St. West
• abbreviated directions:
  • winds NNW
  • 28 miles SW of the city
• informal district names:
  • the Eastern Townships
  • the South Shore
• specific geographic divisions:
  • the Northwest Territories
  • North Vancouver
• political or administrative rather than simply geographic divisions:
  • the East Coast
  • the Far North
  • Western Europe

Do not capitalize when the compass points are used

• purely descriptive terms:
  • southern exposure
  • the north side of the house
• as compass directions:
  • go south four blocks and then turn left
  • drive north to get to the highway
• as orientations:
  • a garden to the west of the house
  • we live east of Ottawa
• for unofficial geographic divisions:
  • northern New Brunswick
  • the east coast of Canada

The list below shows the abbreviations for the 16 compass points.

North

N

Northeast

NE

Northwest

NW

North-northeast

NNE

North-northwest

NNW

East

E

East-northeast

ENE

East-southeast

ESE

South

S

Southeast

SE

Southwest

SW

South-southeast

SSE

South-southwest

SSW

West

W

West-northwest

WNW

West-southwest

WSW

Use the abbreviations NE, NW, SE and SW when referring to town or city divisions:

• NW Toronto

Note:

• Spell out north, south, east, west, etc., in general writing:
  • north of the equator
• Spell out East, West, Southeast, Northwest, etc., when they come before a street name:
  • 1000 East Main Street
  • 111 Southeast Central Park Avenue

Hyphenation

• Do not use a hyphen when there are only two points in the compass point:
  • northeast
  • southwest
• Use a hyphen after the first point when there are three points in the compass point:
  • north-northeast
  • south-southwest

Periods

• Do not use a period after the abbreviated compass point when the address appears on mail:
  • 100 DIVISION ST NE
• Use a period after the abbreviated compass point when the address appears in general writing:
  • Direct inquiries to 75 Booth St. E. before March 14.