One block in the Nether equals eight blocks in the Overworld on the X and Z axes. To find your Nether portal coordinates, divide the Overworld X and Z by 8 and round down: Overworld (800, −1600) becomes Nether (100, −200). The Y coordinate does not change with this conversion.
How do Nether coordinates work?
The Nether is a compressed copy of the Overworld: travelling one block in the Nether covers eight blocks of distance in the Overworld. That is why the Nether is used for fast travel. To convert, divide Overworld X and Z by 8 to get the Nether position, or multiply Nether X and Z by 8 to get the Overworld position. Y is separate, since the Nether has a ceiling and different terrain, and the portal can usually be placed anywhere between Y 1 and about 120.
Linking portals correctly
When you step into a portal, the game looks for an existing portal near the target coordinates. In Java Edition it searches up to 128 blocks around the destination in the Overworld, and 16 blocks in the Nether. If none is found, it generates a new one. That means two Overworld portals closer than about 128 blocks may link to the same Nether portal. To keep them separate, build Nether portals more than 16 blocks apart (equal to 128 Overworld blocks) and match each to the right coordinates.
Worked examples
| Overworld | Nether (÷8) |
|---|---|
| X 800, Z −1600 | X 100, Z −200 |
| X 1000, Z 1000 | X 125, Z 125 |
| X −4000, Z 2400 | X −500, Z 300 |
Tips for Nether highways
- Travelling 1,000 blocks in the Nether gets you 8,000 blocks away in the Overworld. Build a tunnel along one axis to keep the maths simple.
- Bring Fire Resistance or ensure your tunnel is shielded from lava and ghast fireballs. Cobblestone is a cheap blast shield.
- If you can’t build at the exact position because of terrain, shift your portal by a few blocks and test the link.
- Bedrock Edition has slightly different search rules. Test with a signpost at both ends.
Because the conversion is a simple division, you can combine it with distance maths such as the Pythagoras calculator to find the straight-line distance between two bases. Gamers adjusting their screen can also try the FOV calculator.
How to use this calculator
- Choose the direction: Overworld to Nether or Nether to Overworld.
- Type the X and Z coordinates (press F3 in Java Edition to see them).
- Build your portal at the result coordinates, rounded down.
- Check portal links by walking through and confirming the other side.
Key figures at a glance
| Overworld → Nether | ÷ 8 (X and Z) |
|---|---|
| Nether → Overworld | × 8 (X and Z) |
| Y coordinate | Does not convert |
| Portal search range (Java) | 128 blocks Overworld, 16 blocks Nether |
Frequently asked questions
Divide the Overworld X and Z coordinates by 8 and round down.
No conversion applies. Pick a Y that has space for the portal.
The game links to the nearest existing portal within its search radius, so nearby portals can merge.
8,000 blocks in the Overworld.
The 8:1 ratio is the same. Linking and search rules differ, so test it in your game.