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Custom Color-Coded Maps
Custom Map on Google Maps: Use the mapBuilder form just above to create your own custom Google Map, color-coded by Counties, ZIP Codes, or 3-digit ZIP Codes in a Google Sheet
Quickly create a free live-linked interactive color-coded map on Google Maps based on Counties, ZIP Codes, or 3-digit ZIP Codes stored in a spreadsheet. Use custom data fields to assign different colors to each value, customize colors, add titles and more. And the map is live-linked to the spreadsheet: change the spreadsheet, and the next time you visit the map, your updates will be automatically shown on the map!
Example Maps created using this Custom Color-Coded Maps tool (Counties on left, ZIP Codes in middle, and 3-digit ZIP Codes on right)
FAQs for Custom Color-Coded Maps
Feel free to share this with others who may find this functionality useful!
Quick Tips for using this Color-Coded Maps Tool
- Follow the instructions above this box to create a link to your own custom color-coded map.
- Once your customer or end user uses this map, they can then zoom in, search for their address and so
on. To go to another location, type any place or address in the “Search places” box above the map*
OR: Zoom into your place of interest on the map - Optionally, check the “Show ZIP Code boundaries” and “Show ZIP Code labels” checkboxes in the lower left corner of the map to see the ZIP Codes on the map
- Optionally, check the “Show US city limits” checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see City Limits overlaid on the map
- Click the ◉ button in the upper right corner of the map to use your current location. Click the ◉ button again to automatically update your location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds). † and quickly answer “what county am I in?”
- Subscribe to receive notification of tool updates and usage tips
* You can also type in GPS coordinates in decimal degrees into the Search places box. For example, type -105.25,
40 for Boulder, Colorado.
** or equivalent province, district, etc.
*** All information is reported based on the location of the blue dot on the
map; to move the blue dot, click the map
† The “Locate” button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS;
desktop browsers typically show an approximate location
Coverage Notes
- US coverage includes Counties in all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
and American Samoa
“Show US city limits” draws all incorporated cities and towns in the United States and its territories and possessions - Within the UK, England displays Counties and Unitary Authorities, Scotland displays Council Areas, Wales displays Principal Areas, and Northern Ireland displays Districts. Explanation of Unitary Authorities, Council Areas, Principal Areas and Districts.
- Australia displays Local Government Areas (LGAs)
- New Zealand displays Territorial Authorities
- Canada displays Census Divisions, which are Counties in some provinces but may include other geographies
- Mexico displays Municipalities, which are the next level administrative divisions below State
- Switzerland displays Districts
Other Notes
- The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type street addresses, road names, points of interest, and GPS coordinates (see * above) to see what county that location is part of
- Many of the map layers from which this information is extracted are very large, so it may take several seconds for all of the map layers to finish drawing
- Because the map layers are large, boundaries will not be shown if you are zoomed out too far
- Note that typing an address will zoom in the map very close, whereas typing a city or county by itself will show you a map with a wider view
- Disclaimer: While the number of decimals in the latitude and longitude displayed for the map marker imply a positional accuracy of within a few feet, note that Google Maps is not inherently that accurate, and therefore this tool should not be used for legal purposes or anything beyond entertainment value.
Sources
– US: Census Bureau– UK: Open Government License – Contains Office of National Statistics data, Ordnance Survey data ©Crown copyright and database right 2017. Open Data Lincese – Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.
– Ireland: Open Data and Creative Commons License – Ordnance Survey Ireland
– Australia: Incorporates Administrative Boundaries ©PSMA Australia Limited licensed by the Commonwealth of Australia under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence
– New Zealand: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 – Stats NZ
– Canada: Open License – Boundary Files, 2016 Census; Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-160-X
– Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI)
– Switzerland: Swiss Federal Office of Topography
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