DEFINITION

What is Geocoding?

Geocoding is the process of converting location descriptions, such as addresses or coordinates, into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) that can be plotted on a map. This process allows businesses, researchers, and everyday users to visualize and analyze spatial data. There are several types of geocoding, each suited to specific needs, ranging from text-based input to batch processing.

What is geocoding/Geocoding definition: Geocoded records from a database in a Maptitude mapping software map

What is geocoding? This map shows customer addresses geocoded onto a map as point locations. All of the original source data, such as sales volume, are also available for mapping and labeling the geocoded point features.

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What is Text-Based Geocoding

Text-based geocoding involves using common location descriptors such as:

  • Addresses: Full street addresses like "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC."
  • Cities: Identifying a location by its city name (e.g., "Boston, MA").
  • Postal Codes: Geocoding based on ZIP codes or international postal codes.
  • Intersections: Specifying a location by naming intersecting streets, such as "Main St and 1st Ave."

This is the most common form of geocoding and is widely used in navigation apps, logistics, and demographic analyses.

What is a geocoding - map with example of address, city, postal-code, and intersection geocoded locations

An address (97 Chestnut St) geocded to the approximate location, an intersection (Charles St & Branch St) geocoded to the center of the intersection, a postal code (02108) geocoded to a ZIP Code, and a city (Boston MA) geocoded within the city boundary

Types of Text-Based Geocoding

The accuracy of text-based geocoding depends on the method and data used to identify locations. Common types of text-based geocoding include:

  • Address Ranges on Street Segments Accuracy: Locations are approximated along a street segment based on address ranges. For example, "150 Main St" might be placed halfway along a segment where the range is 100-200 Main St. While this method provides a reasonable approximation, it may not pinpoint the exact location. 
  • Street-Offset Accuracy: This method places a geocoded point slightly offset from the street centerline to simulate real-world building locations. It helps prevent overlapping points when mapping multiple addresses on the same street. 
  • Building/Rooftop Accuracy: The most precise form of text-based geocoding, this method places the geocoded point at the exact center of a building or rooftop, ensuring the highest level of accuracy. This is often achieved with high-quality mapping data and is ideal for delivery services, emergency response, and urban planning. 

Each method has its use case, with rooftop accuracy being the gold standard for applications requiring precision.

Address range geocoding

Addresses are placed along the street based on the address range

Street offset geocoding

Addresses are placed along the street based on the address range and offset to the appropriate side of the street

Rooftop geocoding

Addresses are placed based on the physical locations of the buildings

What is Grid-Based Geocoding

Grid-based geocoding assigns locations to pre-defined grids, enabling spatial precision and consistency. Popular grid-based systems include:

  • What3Words: A unique addressing system that divides the world into 3m x 3m squares, assigning each square a unique three-word combination (e.g., "///expand.wiser.caves").
  • Plus Codes: Google's open standard that provides short codes for locations, particularly in areas without traditional addresses.
  • Uber H3: A hexagonal hierarchical spatial index system designed for efficient geospatial analysis. H3 divides the world into hexagonal grids at multiple resolutions, making it ideal for applications like ride-sharing, logistics, and geographic data visualization.

Grid-based geocoding is particularly useful for rural areas, disaster relief, and logistics in regions without formal addressing systems.

What3Words grid geocoding

What3Words grid where every 3-meter square is identified by three words

Uber H3 grid geocoding

Uber H3 hexagonal grid

What is Coordinate Geocoding

Coordinate geocoding converts specific longitude and latitude pairs (or x/y values) into points on a map. Examples include:

  • Latitude/Longitude: Coordinates such as (38.8977, -77.0365) for the White House.
  • X/Y Values: Cartesian coordinates used in specialized mapping software.

Coordinate geocoding is essential for GPS navigation, geospatial analysis, and applications that rely on precise positioning.

Coordinate geocoding

Precisely geocodeds latitude/longitude locations

What is Reverse Geocoding

Reverse geocoding is the opposite of geocoding: it converts geographic coordinates into human-readable descriptions. For example, the coordinates (40.748370, -73.984640) return the address "Empire State Building, New York, NY."

Applications of reverse geocoding include:

  • Pinpointing addresses for GPS tracking.
  • Providing contextual location information in mobile apps.
  • Analyzing geographic data to understand nearby landmarks.
Reverse geocoding

What is Batch Geocoding

Batch geocoding is the process of geocoding multiple locations at once. This is particularly useful for businesses and organizations handling large datasets, such as:

  • Customer addresses for marketing analysis.
  • Delivery routes for logistics planning.
  • Research studies involving hundreds or thousands of geographic data points.

Batch geocoding tools streamline workflows, saving time and ensuring accuracy in large-scale mapping projects.

Batch geocoding

Why is Geocoding Important?

Geocoding is a critical component of modern mapping and analysis. It enables businesses, governments, and researchers to better understand spatial relationships, optimize operations, and make informed decisions based on location data.

Benefits of Geocoding

Geocoding technology offers significant benefits across various sectors, enhancing data accuracy and enabling sophisticated spatial analyses. Several studies and reports highlight its impactful applications:

Public Health and Research

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) utilizes geocoding to link survey participant addresses with geographic information, enriching data analysis. This integration allows researchers to combine neighborhood and ecological information with individual survey data, expanding the use of geocoded data to improve public health.
FCSM Home

Urban Planning and Crime Analysis

In urban planning, geocoding enables the integration, mapping, and analysis of geographic data, facilitating efficient data management and spatial analysis. For instance, the Chicago Police Department's Information Collection for Automated Mapping (ICAM) system uses geocoding to produce maps of reported offenses in specific areas, aiding in crime pattern analysis and resource allocation.
Office of Justice Programs

Geospatial Data Integration

Geocoding serves as a foundational element in geographic information systems (GIS), efficiently indexing spatial data by converting geographic coordinates into concise strings. This process supports various applications, including environmental monitoring, transportation planning, and resource management.
IEEE Xplore

Geocoding Software

Maptitude Mapping Software gives you all of the tools you need to geocode and analyze your data. Included with Maptitude is:

With Maptitude you can locate unlimited records, map your location data, build sales territories from customer addresses, and analyze your mapped pushpins. Maptitude does not have any additional fees for geocoding, allowing you to plot large databases of coordinates at minimal cost.

Video: Geocoding data in Maptitude Online is as simple as dragging and dropping


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