ZIP Code search has some interesting characteristics

[+Nomad and the Librarians]

I used to be able to type in my ZIP Code and find caches near my house. I am not sure what's changed, but I am having problems.

 

I just typed in my ZIP Code and selected the first cache on the list, ostensibly .3 miles from the ZIP Code.

 

I didn't recognize anything on the map. I checked the driving directions. Turned out the cache was 27 miles away.

 

Maybe this is a known flaw, but it's new to me. Is there a work-around?

 

Thanks,

Nomad

of Nomad and the Librarians

[+Borst68]

I used to be able to type in my ZIP Code and find caches near my house. I am not sure what's changed, but I am having problems.

 

I just typed in my ZIP Code and selected the first cache on the list, ostensibly .3 miles from the ZIP Code.

 

I didn't recognize anything on the map. I checked the driving directions. Turned out the cache was 27 miles away.

 

Maybe this is a known flaw, but it's new to me. Is there a work-around?

 

Thanks,

Nomad

of Nomad and the Librarians

 

Not to sound dumb but are you sure you typed in the zip correctly? If you hit the wrong key on your PC you could have gotten a near by zip. I put in my zip and it came up as usual.

[+jd350az]

How large is your zip code? In town here we have some zip codes that only cover a few miles and a more rural zipcode on the edge of town covers 20 miles so a cache .3 miles from the zip could be 20.3 miles away depending on how it figures it?

[sabrefan7]

I believe zip code goes to the geographical center of your zip code? That could be the reason its far away from your home.

[+edscott]

I believe zip code goes to the geographical center of your zip code? That could be the reason its far away from your home.

I've not used that feature for quite some time, but just tried it and something has changed. I used to be south of my zip code (I am south of the Post Office), but now I'm north of the zip coordinates. Something moved about 4 miles and as far as I know it's not me. Maybe it used to center on the PO and now it's on the geographic center of the zip?

[+RIclimber]

Wow, my zip code is now almost in my yard!

I know around here some puzzle caches are based on the zip code, I wonder what will happen to them?

[+Walts Hunting]

Under the umbrella of "Asked and Answered" a google search reveals this from keystone in February 2007

 

Groundspeak acquired the zipcode data years ago. A "centroid" was assigned to each zipcode by the provider. You can see the latitude and longitude for the center point by looking in the URL for the nearest caches search results page.

 

Here is mine

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.asp...32&dist=100

 

That clear it up?