Geocoding is a technique to convert a descriptive postal address or location name to geographic coordinates. These coordinates can further be used to plot the addresses on map, to conduct spatial analysis or use these coordinates for any location based application like delivery apps, navigational apps or logistics etc. This is a very simple, intuitive and handy tool to get latitude and longitude from human readable addresses. To find the GPS coordinates of an address or a place name, simply use our latitude and longitude finder. Fill the address field and click on “Get GPS Coordinates”.
Geocoding concept is not new. It’s history is connected with cartography, computing, and government infrastructure.
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Pre-Digital Era (19th Century – 1960s)
- This concept was existed in analog form. An address was looked up in a street index, which was located at the back of a paper map. A grid cell (e.g., “B-5”) was then referenced by the index, and that cell was subsequently found on the map.
- The US Census Bureau is recognized as a major pioneer. For the 1960 and 1970 censuses, the monumental task of tabulating data by geographic location was faced. This was followed by the creation of the first digital geographic databases.
- In 1964, the first rudimentary automated geocoding system was developed by the Harvard Laboratory for Computer Graphics (a seminal institution in GIS) to support the Census Bureau.