Custom Color-Coded Maps

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Or, import a GPX file: GPX, or GPS Exchange Format, is a common GPS data format for importing route, waypoint and track data exported from GPS devices

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Show Saved Drawings

Tip: Once you save a drawing, it will appear in the above box and can be added to any map

Show these Drawings on the map

About editing Optionally, edit a Drawing on the map (including renaming it) then click the Save Drawing button on the map. Drawings can be deleted on your My Account page.

Measurements: Length or area will be shown when you draw or edit a line or shape • To change the length or area of a shape you've just drawn, use the Hand tool in the upper left of the map to grab the shape and then drag its vertices as needed to get the length or area you desire

Create custom areas from ZIP Codes or Counties

Create custom areas from ZIP Codes or Counties

Create a custom area from a list of ZIP Codes

Define a delivery area, service area or sales territory using a list of 5-digit or 3-digit U.S. ZIP Codes

Show Me How

Color-code ZIP Codes from a spreadsheet

Create a custom color-coded map using a live link to a Google Sheet containing U.S. ZIP Codes

Show Me How

Color-code Counties from a spreadsheet

Create a custom color-coded map using a live link to a Google Sheet containing U.S. Counties

Show Me How

Type or paste a comma-separated list of 5-digit and/or 3-digit ZIP Codes into the box below, OR

Click here to select ZIP Codes by drawing on the map

about this Selection Tool

see a sample map

1. In Google Sheets, create a spreadsheet that includes these columns: ZIP Code, Data* and Color. If additional columns are present, a "more..." button will appear above the map when the user clicks on your custom area. • Free version has a limit of 1,000 rows; monthly contributors can map up to 10,000 rows per map
• You can use any combination of 5-digit ZIP Codes and 3-digit ZIP Codes
• Map data will be read from first tab in your Google Sheet; the first row must contain column headers
• If you don't have a Google Sheet, create one by importing from Excel or a .csv file
• The header of the Data column will be used as the map legend heading
• Links included in the sheet beginning with https:// will be clickable when the user clicks the map on that ZIP Code
• The Color column is optional. If used, the Color column can contain any browser-supported color name or any 6-digit hex color code

2. In Google Sheets, Share your spreadsheet with Anyone with the link permissions and click the Copy link button In Google Sheets:
1. Click the Share button in the upper right corner
2. Click the Get link section in the box that appears
3. Change the sharing setting to Anyone with the link (keep the drop-down to the right set as Viewer)
4. Click the Copy link button
5. Click Done
See screenshot of these 5 steps

3. Paste the link you just copied into the box below:

* What is the Data column? The Data column is the first column in your spreadsheet other than ZIP Code and Color, such as Territory in the image at right. The Data column will appear in the map legend.

Click here to select ZIP Codes for your spreadsheet by drawing on the map

about this Selection Tool

Color-code ZIP Codes from spreadsheet example

see a sample map

1. In Google Sheets, create a spreadsheet that includes these columns: County, State Abbrev, Data* and Color. If additional columns are present, a "more..." button will appear above the map when the user clicks on your custom area. • Free version has a limit of 1,000 rows; monthly contributors can map up to 10,000 rows per map
• Map data will be read from first tab in your Google Sheet; the first row must contain column headers
• If you don't have a Google Sheet, create one by importing from Excel or a .csv file
• The header of the Data column will be used as the map legend heading
• Links included in the sheet beginning with https:// will be clickable when the user clicks the map on that county
• The Color column is optional. If used, the Color column can contain any browser-supported color name or any 6-digit hex color code

2. In Google Sheets, Share your spreadsheet with Anyone with the link permissions and click the Copy link button In Google Sheets:
1. Click the Share button in the upper right corner
2. Click the Get link section in the box that appears
3. Change the sharing setting to Anyone with the link (keep the drop-down to the right set as Viewer)
4. Click the Copy link button
5. Click Done
See screenshot of these 5 steps

3. Paste the link you just copied into the box below:

* What is the Data column? The Data column is the first column in your spreadsheet other than State, County and Color, such as Salesperson in the image at right. The Data column will appear in the map legend.

Click here to select Counties for your spreadsheet by drawing on the map

about this Selection Tool

Color-code counties from spreadsheet example

see a sample map

Add custom points and lines to the map

Add custom points and lines to the map

Add points from a spreadsheet

Create a live link to a Google Sheet containing latitude/longitude points or addresses

Show Me How

Import points and lines from a KML file

Export to KML from Google My Maps, Google Earth or GIS software

Show Me How

1. In Google Sheets, create a spreadsheet that includes these columns: Longitude, Latitude, Data* and Color. You can also map Addresses**. If additional columns are present, a "more..." button will appear above the map when the user clicks on your custom point. • Map data will be read from first tab in your Google Sheet; the first row must contain column headers
• If you don't have a Google Sheet, create one by importing from Excel or a .csv file
• Longitude and Latitude must be in decimal degrees such as -87.633, 41.854 for Chicago (note: the U.S. and western hemisphere have negative longitudes)
• The header of the Data column will be used as the map legend heading
• Links included in the sheet beginning with https:// will be clickable when the user clicks the map on that custom point
• The Color column is optional. If used, the Color column can contain any browser-supported color name or any 6-digit hex color code
• If present, the Address column must contain U.S. addresses in this format: address, city, state, ZIP Code**
• If you don't already have Longitude/Latitudes and want to build your Google Sheet interactively: As you click the map or use Search places, the Long Lat is shown above the map and you can copy/paste it into your Google Sheet

2. In Google Sheets, Share your spreadsheet with Anyone with the link permissions and click the Copy link button In Google Sheets:
1. Click the Share button in the upper right corner
2. Click the Get link section in the box that appears
3. Change the sharing setting to Anyone with the link (keep the drop-down to the right set as Viewer)
4. Click the Copy link button
5. Click Done
See screenshot of these 5 steps

3. Paste the link you just copied into the box below:

* What is the Data column? The Data column is the first column in your spreadsheet other than Lat, Long and Color, such as Name in the image at right. The Data column will appear in the map legend.

** Addresses will be converted to Latitude and Longitude so they can be mapped. Read details about mapping addresses.

Add points from spreadsheet example

see a sample map

1. Export a KML file containing points or lines from Google My Maps, Google Earth or GIS software • Only points and lines will be mapped from your KML file
• To use KMZ files exported from Google My Maps, you must also share your Google My Maps with Anyone with the link permission. KMZ files can be buggy, so if you have issues, use a KML file instead.
• For points, the KML file MUST contain Longitude and Latitude (geocoded addresses without coordinates are NOT supported)
• Routes can be exported from Google My Maps using the Add directions button, specifying your from and to location, then exporting the route data from the map in KML format

2. Upload the KML file to Google Drive

3. From Google Drive, right click the file and choose Share. In the General access box, click Anyone with the link, then click Copy link and then Done

4. Paste the link you just copied into the box below:

see a sample points and lines map

see a sample points and route map

Set map title & display options

Set map title & display options

Set an embedded title for your map, set the map type and choose how you want to center the map (all optional)

Embedded Map Title
Title & label color
Map tool
Map type

NEW! Map layer and label visibility is controlled using the checkboxes in the lower left corner of the map

Center map on user location
Use current map center & zoom level
Hide map legend
Also show ZIP Code labels outside my custom area

Click Apply to view your finished map

Apply

If desired, add additional mapBuilder modules to your map and make any other adjustments, then click Apply to see the updated map.

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When you are happy with your map, you can:

Copy the map link for use on another website

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Save the finished map to your My Account page

Save Map

Map saved!

If you include a map screenshot from this tool on your website, please include a small source attribution link pointing to this page

Click Apply to view your finished map

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randymajors.org Map Tools ©2025 randymajors.org

Custom Color-Coded Maps

Use the mapBuilder form just above to create your own custom color coded map on Google Maps, color-coded by Counties or ZIP Codes

Quickly create a free live-linked interactive color coded map (also known as a choropleth map) on Google Maps based on Counties, 5-digit ZIP Codes or 3-digit ZIP Codes stored in a Google Sheets spreadsheet. Use any custom data column of your choice to assign different colors to each value, customize colors, add titles and more.

No need to download complicated software. Use the easy mapBuilder form above to create a custom county map, custom zip code map, custom delivery zones map, custom sales map, custom US map or any other choropleth thematic color code map using U.S. Counties or ZIP Codes.

More is more: Include additional columns in your spreadsheet! Additional columns will be viewable using the “more…” button that appears when you click your custom areas. Any links (urls) you include in your spreadsheet will become clickable links!

Data changed? No problem: the custom map you create is live-linked to the spreadsheet! So, 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)

Example County map created with Custom Color-Coded Map tool Example ZIP Code map created with Custom Color-Coded Map tool Example 3-digit ZIP Code map created with Custom Color-Coded Map tool

FAQs for Custom Color-Coded Maps

How do I color code a map?
This Custom Color-Coded map tool creates custom color-coded map using Counties, ZIP Codes, or 3-digit ZIP Codes on Google Maps. Use this custom map creation form to easily build a custom map link.
How do I color-code counties?
This Custom Color-Coded Counties map tool creates custom color-coded counties on Google Maps. Use this custom map creation form to easily build a link to your custom county map.
How do I color-code ZIP Codes?
This Custom Color-Coded ZIP Codes map tool creates custom color-coded 5-digit or 3-digit ZIP Codes on Google Maps. Use this custom map creation form to easily build a link to your custom ZIP Code map.

Quick Tips for using this Color-Coded Maps Tool

  1. Follow the instructions above this box to create a link to your own custom color-coded map.
  2. Once your customer uses the map you create, they can do the following
    • Type an address, city, etc. into the Search places box above the map and choose the desired location from the auto-complete list
    • Click the map to see the feature name where you clicked and whether the location is within the custom area (Monthly Contributors also get Dynamic Maps)
    • Search using GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) using the Find lat long box in the top right above the map*
    • Click the ◉ Use Current Location button in the upper right corner of the map to use current location. Click the ◉ Use Current Location button again to automatically update current location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds, shown as ◉A for Active).**
  3. Check the Show labels checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see the custom color-coded area labelled on the map
  4. Use the SHOW OTHER LAYERS panel in the lower left corner of the map to show county lines, US city limits, US civil townships and US ZIP Codes on the map, overlaid on the custom color-coded map.
  5. Save your map or Share it with others
Learn More

* You can search using various formats of latitude longitude, including degrees, minutes and seconds; degrees and decimal minutes; or decimal degrees
** The ◉ Use Current Location button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS; desktop browsers typically show an approximate location

Census Bureau Statistics

Click the feature names above the map to show the following Census demographic data for the feature the blue pin is located in

Census data is available for U.S. cities, counties, civil townships and ZIP Codes.

Populations and People
Total Population
Income and Poverty
Median Household Income
Education
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
Employment
Employment Rate
Housing
Total Housing Units
Health
Without Health Care Coverage
Families and Living Arrangements
Total Households
Race and Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Selection Tools: Find ZIP Codes by radius or by drawing a line or shape

  1. Click the purple select ZIP Codes button in the “Color-code ZIP Codes from a spreadsheet” module (or the purple button in the Counties module for selecting counties)
  2. – RADIUS SELECT: To find ZIP Codes within a radius, specify the mileage in the “Optional radius select” box, then use the Point “Add a marker” tool to drop the center point of the radius*
    – SELECT USING A LINE OR SHAPE: To find ZIP Codes that touch a line or a shape you draw, use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished*
    – SELECT WITHIN DISTANCE OF A LINE OR SHAPE (also known as a buffer): To find ZIP Codes that are within a distance of a line or a shape you draw, first specify the mileage in the “Optional radius select” box, then use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished*
  3. The ZIP Codes and ZIP Code boundaries will be highlighted and listed in a “Results from map” box below the map, where you can copy the selected ZIP Codes for use in a spreadsheet or other document
    – Optionally, keep drawing shapes to select more ZIP Codes
  4. When you are finished selecting ZIP Codes, click the “Done Selecting” button in the lower left corner of the map

* ZIP Codes will get selected if any part of the shape you draw (or applied radius or buffer) falls within the ZIP Code boundary

Want to map addresses as points on the map? Or map lines or routes? Try the Custom Point and Line Maps tool!

Additional Usage Tips

  • Be sure to read the Quick Tips above on how to use this map tool
  • The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type street addresses, road names, points of interest, etc. to see what custom area that location is part of
    – 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
  • Because the map layers are complex, boundaries will not be shown if you are zoomed out too far
  • Search the FAQs for more detailed help

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

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

DISCLAIMER

Accuracy and Limitations: The information provided by this map tool has been obtained from various public data sources shown in the Sources box above. These sources have varying degrees of reliability and completeness and are subject to change over time. Additionally, while the latitude and longitude values displayed by the map marker suggest a high degree of precision, you should be aware that the underlying Google Maps and source data may not reflect this level of accuracy nor precision.

No Legal or Surveying Use: Due to these potential inaccuracies, this tool is not intended for, and must not be used for, legal, surveying, or any critical decision-making purposes. The information is provided on an as-is basis for general reference and entertainment purposes only. For specific inquiries regarding data accuracy or fitness for use, please consult the original data sources. For decisions requiring precise location data, consult the appropriate government or other authoritative sources, and seek professional legal advice.

Agreement to Terms: BY USING THIS WEBSITE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OUTLINED ON THIS LINKED PAGE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ALL PROVISIONS OF THE COPYRIGHT, TERMS OF USE, DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE.





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