Geocoding API
POST Geocode Address
The geocoding service enables you to take an address and get the associated latitude and longitude.
Resource URL
Resource Information
| Response Formats | JSON, XML, CSV |
| Authentication | Yes (Requires Key) |
| Rate Limited | Yes |
Request Parameters
| Request Parameter | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| key | The API Key, which is needed to make requests to MapQuest services. | Yes |
| outFormat | Specifies the format of the response. Must be one of the following, if supplied:
outFormat=xml | optional, defaults to json |
| callback | A JavaScript function name. The JSON-formatted response will be wrapped in a call to the supplied callback function name to provide JSONP functionality. This functionality might be needed to do cross-site scripting. See the Wikipedia.org entry for JSON for more details. Example: Callback callback=geocodeResult | optional |
Request Body
| Request Parameter | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| location | The location to geocode. Example: Single Line Location "location": "Washington,DC" | Yes |
Options Object
| Request Parameter | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| boundingBox | When ambiguous results are returned, any results within the provided bounding box will be moved to the top of the results list. Bounding box format is: upper left latitude, upper left longitude, lower right latitude, lower right longitude. Example: Bounding Box "boundingBox": {"ul": { "lng": -77.085411, "lat": 38.893276 }, "lr": { "lng": -77.071159, "lat": 38.848869 }} | optional |
| ignoreLatLngInput | This option tells the service whether it should fail when given a latitude/longitude pair in an address or batch geocode call, or if it should ignore that and try and geocode what it can.
"ignoreLatLngInput": true | optional, defaults to false |
| thumbMaps | This parameter tells the service whether it should return a URL to a static map thumbnail image for a location being geocoded.
"thumbMaps": false | optional, defaults to true |
| maxResults | The max number of locations to return from the geocode This option will only have an effect on the second location because it is ambiguous Example: Five Results Max "maxResults": 5 | optional |
| delimiter | Specifies the delimiter used in the csv response
"delimiter": "|" | optional, defaults to none, only in effect if outFormat=csv |
| intlMode | Allows users of the International Geocoder to tell MapQuest how to handle a 5-box geocode.
"intlMode": "1BOX" | optional, defaults to auto |
Response Object
| providedLocation | The provided location properties passed in the geocode request. |
| latLng | Returns the latitude/longitude for routing and is the nearest point on a road for the entrance. |
| street | Street address. |
| adminArea6 | Neighborhood name. |
| adminArea5 | City name. |
| adminArea4 | County name. |
| adminArea3 | State name. |
| adminArea1 | Country name. |
| postalCode | Postal code. |
| type | Type of location.
|
| dragPoint | Is location a drag point? This option only applies when making a dragroute call.
|
| displayLatLng | A lat/lng pair that can be helpful when showing this address as a Point of Interest. |
| geocodeQuality | The precision of the geocoded location. Refer to the Geocode Quality reference page for more information. |
| geocodeQualityCode | The five character quality code for the precision of the geocoded location. Refer to the Geocode Quality reference page for more information. |
| linkId | String that identifies the closest road to the address for routing purposes. |
| sideOfStreet | Specifies the side of street.
|
| info | This field contains information about the response. The statuscode subfield is an integer return value. Refer to the status codes page for more details about our status codes and error messages. The messages subfield is an array of error messages that describe the status |
Example Request
POST https://www.mapquestapi.com/geocoding/v1/address?key=KEY
Example Request Body
JSON
{
"location": "Washington,DC",
"options": {
"thumbMaps": false
}
}XML
<address>
<location>
<city>Washington, DC</city>
</location>
<options>
<thumbMaps>false</thumbMaps>
</options>
</address>Example Response
JSON
{
"info": {
"statuscode": 0,
"copyright": {
"text": "© 2023 MapQuest, Inc.",
"imageUrl": "https://api.mqcdn.com/res/mqlogo.gif",
"imageAltText": "© 2023 MapQuest, Inc."
},
"messages": []
},
"options": {
"maxResults": -1,
"thumbMaps": true,
"ignoreLatLngInput": false
},
"results": [
{
"providedLocation": {
"location": "Washington,DC"
},
"locations": [
{
"street": "",
"adminArea6": "",
"adminArea6Type": "Neighborhood",
"adminArea5": "Washington",
"adminArea5Type": "City",
"adminArea4": "District of Columbia",
"adminArea4Type": "County",
"adminArea3": "DC",
"adminArea3Type": "State",
"adminArea1": "US",
"adminArea1Type": "Country",
"postalCode": "",
"geocodeQualityCode": "A5XAX",
"geocodeQuality": "CITY",
"dragPoint": false,
"sideOfStreet": "N",
"linkId": "282772166",
"unknownInput": "",
"type": "s",
"latLng": {
"lat": 38.892062,
"lng": -77.019912
},
"displayLatLng": {
"lat": 38.892062,
"lng": -77.019912
},
"mapUrl": "https://www.mapquestapi.com/staticmap/v5/getmap?key=KEY&type=map&size=225,160&pois=purple-1,38.892062,-77.019912,0,0,|¢er=38.892062,-77.019912&zoom=12&rand=306744981"
}
]
}
]
}XML
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<response>
<info>
<statusCode>0</statusCode>
<messages/>
<copyright>
<imageUrl>https://api.mqcdn.com/res/mqlogo.gif</imageUrl>
<imageAltText>© 2023 MapQuest, Inc.</imageAltText>
<text>© 2023 MapQuest, Inc.</text>
</copyright>
</info>
<results>
<result>
<providedLocation>
<street>Washington,DC</street>
</providedLocation>
<locations>
<location>
<street/>
<adminArea6 type='Neighborhood'/>
<adminArea5 type='City'>Washington</adminArea5>
<adminArea3 type='State'>DC</adminArea3>
<adminArea4 type='County'>District of Columbia</adminArea4>
<postalCode/>
<adminArea1 type='Country'>US</adminArea1>
<geocodeQuality>CITY</geocodeQuality>
<geocodeQualityCode>A5XAX</geocodeQualityCode>
<dragPoint>false</dragPoint>
<sideOfStreet>N</sideOfStreet>
<displayLatLng>
<latLng>
<lat>38.892062</lat>
<lng>-77.019912</lng>
</latLng>
</displayLatLng>
<linkId>282772166</linkId>
<unknownInput/>
<type>s</type>
<latLng>
<lat>38.892062</lat>
<lng>-77.019912</lng>
</latLng>
</location>
</locations>
</result>
</results>
<options>
<maxResults>-1</maxResults>
<thumbMaps>false</thumbMaps>
<ignoreLatLngInput>false</ignoreLatLngInput>
<boundingBox/>
</options>
</response>CSV
"Country","State","County","City","PostalCode","Street","Lat","Lng","DragPoint","LinkId","Type","GeocodeQualityCode","GeocodeQuality","SideOfStreet","DisplayLat","DisplayLng"
"US","DC","District of Columbia","Washington","","","38.892062","-77.019912","false","282772166","s","A5XAX","CITY","N","38.892062","-77.019912"