Way to convert street address to coords?

[+robotman]

Is there a way to convert a street address into lon / lat coordinates?

 

I seem to suffer a gap from knowing an address and trying to figure out it's coordates to put in my GPS or mapping software. MapQuest will show you the original coords you searched, but doesn't update the coords as you move around.

 

Any utility or website that anyone knows of?!

 

Thanks.

 

The Robot Family

[OlyHippy]

I'm not familiar with an online utility, but my Delorme Topo USA has that feature. It's good for that but a little lacking for accurate topos, which is why I use the National Geographic USGS topographic software for my maps.

[+robotman]

I have a Magellan SporTrak Pro and the US Street/Topo Maps software. It may be able to do the conversion, but I was hoping to find something a little quicker to use. Not to mention that the street info in the Magellan software isn't the most accurate.

 

It would be really nice if MapQuest had a way to give you the lon / lat coords.

 

The Robot Family

[+Jamie Z]

The best place to find the information is at Markwell's FAQ. Not only does he specifically address this question, but he answers most other questions people ask repeatedly on these boards.

 

Jamie

[+YeOleImposter]

To convert an actual street address to lat/long I use:

http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive_Eagle

 

Works pretty well.

[+Sissy-n-CR]

quote:

---

Originally posted by YeOleImposter (formerly yragnosluap):

To convert an actual street address to lat/long I use:

http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive_Eagle

 

Works pretty well.

---

 

...and is much more accurate, IMHO, than any MicroSoft product.

 

mapsonus.com is another one that puts at the right end of my street.

 

[+Markwell]

I've even got an experiment of a few of the online solutions - showing a satellite of how accurate/inaccurate some of those programs are.

 

BTW - don't poo-poo the MS Streets and Trips. I used it yesterday to direct me to an unknown address. Plugged the coords into the GPS, and it got me within 160 feet. Not too bad!

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+Shoebox]

This one will give you a map and long/lat.

http://www.maporama.com/share/

[+Sissy-n-CR]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Markwell:

BTW - don't poo-poo the MS Streets and Trips. I used it yesterday to direct me to an unknown address. Plugged the coords into the GPS, and it got me within 160 feet. Not too bad!

---

 

Well, using it once is one thing. Using it on a daily basis is another.

 

A little back I was driving truck for a major regional nursery. We delivered various flowers, shrubs, and house plants to stores like Wal-Mart, Kmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and smaller nurseries. Not knowing where all of these places were I turned to MSS&T.

 

Let me tell you, turning around an eighteen wheeler is not like turning around your car. Many times the program would bring me into a town and when the store was near a turn, it would tell me many times to turn the wrong way. Having to turn around and go the other direction is something that stood out in my mind.

 

The program I used was MSS&T 2001. A little while back I got 2003, but I've heard that it was even worse then 2002 and earlier versions. My own minimal tests which consist of places where I used to live are the same as 2001 and I haven't had to rely on it for directions so I really couldn't tell first hand if it's better or worse.

 

How I ended up getting more accurate direction is to go the store's website and get the maps directly from them. The smaller places I'd call or talk to the other drivers.

 

So, no, I don't think I would rely on MSS&T trips for street level addresses unless I only need to get with in a mile or so and I can hunt it visually and in my car. I would not rely on MSS&T for address-to-coords at all. I'd always check the address on location before assuming it is right.

 

But that's just my own personal experience with better than 50 or so lookups.

 

With that said, I will be putting MSS&T to work in a laptop for navigation. I will be checking out the program to see if the coords match the maps. I suspect the street-address-to-coords translation is what is broken. Also, I'm not saying it's always wrong, just enough to make me not trust it.

 

CR

 

[+Jamie Z]

I've always used the address-to-coords feature of my Meridian. Out of the dozen or dozen and a half times I've used it, the GPS has put me in the parking lot of my desired address all but one time. That one time it put me about a block away, and I was able to see the store.

 

Jamie

[+robotman]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried GeoCode and it was right on. My house is on a little culdesac on a hill and never lines up, but GeoCode got it. Pretty impressive.

 

Does it really track when you use it 25 times or does it just request you buy it if you use it more than 25 time? I really don't want to spend $50 just to do the occasional address look-up.

 

The Robot Family

[+YeOleImposter]

quote:

---

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried GeoCode and it was right on. My house is on a little culdesac on a hill and never lines up, but GeoCode got it. Pretty impressive.

 

Does it really track when you use it 25 times or does it just request you buy it if you use it more than 25 time? I really don't want to spend $50 just to do the occasional address look-up.

---

 

I have been using it for quite awhile, 1 or 2 addresses at a time and so have done probably 50 lookups, and no problem.

[+Team Shibby]

I have been using it for awhile now but I believe it gives slightly inaccurate coords until you have paid for it. When I look up my house, it gives me the coords a couple of doors down from my house. Although it will get you to the general vacinity which is good enough, I wouldnt count on it getting you to the front door.

 

I also looked up an adddress with it once for an outlet mall in pennsylvania, and like Jamie Z, it put me at least a block or so away.

 

Not wanting to run OT, but Mapsource Cityselect has similar inaccuracies(sp?). On one street I noticed it listed more street address than were even there. So long as it gets me to the general vicinity I am happy

 

Kar

 

TEAM SHIBBY!!!!

 

Krs, Kar & Na

 

[This message was edited by Team Shibby on April 30, 2003 at 03:58 PM.]

[+YeOleImposter]

I would be interested to find out how the data is input for these conversion programs. My guess is that it is just a table that the "address are from xxx to xxx on this street in increments of 20". So if a number is skipped somewhere or something else screwy it will be off. That is why empty lots all have house numbers etc.

[+GW_Diesel]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sissy-n-CR:

quote:

---

Originally posted by YeOleImposter (formerly yragnosluap):

To convert an actual street address to lat/long I use:

http://www.geocode.com/modules.php?name=TestDrive_Eagle

 

Works pretty well.

---

 

...and is much more accurate, IMHO, than any MicroSoft product.

 

mapsonus.com is another one that puts at the right end of my street.

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/72057_2000.gif

---

 

Not too accurate! It's show'd my house about a half mile away!

[dsandbro]

Some rural areas now use the respective UTM coord (X or Y, depending on street direction) as the address. It's all part of some national standard address scheme that never caught on.

 

========================================

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things; of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and Kings".

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

DeLorme Street Atlas 2003 is also great for this feature. By looking at the map of my address, it was almost exactly on the money.

 

Brian

Team A.I.

[otterbuff]

THANKS FOR THE INFO! I am currently trying to do this with Mapquest and thought - "hey check geocaching for the answer." Sure enough here it is! And thanks Markwell for the great FAQ!!!