# Why doesn't google maps provide zip codes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397 "2013-08-28T13:12:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/21 "2013-08-28T18:02:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How come I don’t get a thank you, huh? :mad: Who said that??? 😕 No seriously. I’m going blind. I totally didn’t even see your post there. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/22 "2013-08-28T18:13:31Z")
Don’t lie. You had me on ignore. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/23 "2013-08-28T18:20:49Z")
Here’s what I thought the OP was asking, and what I would like to see: I go to Google Maps. I zoom in on my home, or workplace, or the neighborhood where I plan to be later on. I want to know what ZIP code that area is. I have now discovered that I can get the ZIP code by right-clicking, and then selecting “What’s this?”, and the address and ZIP code is displayed on the left. But ONLY if you’re zoomed in far enough. Here’s why I need this information: There are a gazillion websites which will tell you the nearest whatever, but you need to tell it where you’re located, and by far, it need this information as a five-digit ZIP code. But I have no idea what the address or ZIP code is over there; all I can do is find it on a map. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/24 "2013-08-28T18:26:08Z")
Use the “search nearby” feature. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/25 "2013-08-28T18:32:48Z")
Hopefully not too much of a hijack. I want to find the names of mountains, like in Wyoming’s Big Horn range and Yellowstone. Plus the names of other physical features, like ranges, valleys, etc. Is there a good map site that would be helpful? Wikipedia links to all these, so I’d imagine one would work. Any suggestions? [http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Yellowstone\_National\_Park¶ms=44\_36\_N\_110\_30\_W\_type:landmark\_region:US-WY\_](http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=Yellowstone_National_Park¶ms=44_36_N_110_30_W_type:landmark_region:US-WY_) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/26 "2013-08-28T20:13:29Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I took the question to mean, “why doesn’t Google Maps include a Zip Code map overlay?” You can get an overlay for a single Zip Code, if you search for just 90210 or whatever. It also works for city boundaries. ETA: But that wouldn’t help if you didn’t know what Zip Code you were looking for. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/27 "2013-08-28T23:45:37Z")
Google maps don’t even show counties. Mapquest does, at some but not all zoom levels. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/28 "2013-08-29T04:02:06Z")
> [@HubZilla](#): > > I want to find the names of mountains, like in Wyoming’s Big Horn range and Yellowstone. Plus the names of other physical features, like ranges, valleys, etc. Is there a good map site that would be helpful? I’m very fond of the venerable USGS topo maps, most easily viewed online at > **[GISsurfer General Purpose Web Map and GIS Viewer | Surf GIS DATA](https://mappingsupport.com/p2/gissurfer.php?%3fgmap4=true)** > > GISsurfer lets you surf a nearly endless amount of GIS data. Click a layer in the GIS server's table of contents and that data appears on the map. zoom in quite a bit, then note the options in the upper right corner A new worldwide topo map is on [ArcGIS Online.](http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html) It’s automatically generated from geographic data sets, so may not have the quality control of USGS maps. It also uses a nonstandard interface for slippy maps, so you have to remember to double-click to zoom in rather than use the scroll wheel. ---
**Author:** ![eastcheap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@eastcheap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eastcheap)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397/29 "2013-08-29T04:31:55Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > There are a gazillion websites which will tell you the nearest whatever, but you need to tell it where you’re located, and by far, it need this information as a five-digit ZIP code. But I have no idea what the address or ZIP code is over there; all I can do is find it on a map. The abovementioned tips are useful, but be aware that using ZIP codes for geolocation is a practice that can fall apart really quickly when you get outside of largish cities with multiple codes. In the boonies, often the simplest thing is to find the nearest post office and use that ZIP code, which may or may not be the same as where you are or want to be. For example, “my” post office is about twelve miles away (it’s not even in the same county), but the nearest is only about six miles distant. Fortunately, Google Maps can help you there too: simply zoom into the general area and search for “post offices.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-google-maps-provide-zip-codes/667397.md?page=1)