ZIP Codes

Create a custom area map based on a list of States or ZIP Codes

August 31, 2021 by Randy Majors

The Custom Areas using ZIP Codes tool has been enhanced so you can also use U.S. States to define your custom area map. This can be useful to show: service area maps sales territory maps delivery area maps other custom area map of any topic defined by States or ZIP Codes To build a map based on states, create a URL like the following: https://www.randymajors.org/customgmap?mapbuilder=true&states=CO,NM,TX,UT,WY,NE,KS,MO,OK,IL,IN,NY,VT,OH,AR&title=My%20Business%20Coverage%20Area Copy/paste the above URL and edit the list of state abbreviations, the title and the color to use. UPDATE: This has been improved in August 2021 so that a long list of states will draw … Read more

Have a small business? Quickly create a DELIVERY AREA MAP for free on Google Maps

January 28, 2021 by Randy Majors

During this challenging time for small businesses, here’s an easy way to quickly create a DELIVERY AREA MAP for free on Google Maps. Tool just updated: Now it’s easier than ever to create your custom delivery area map based on ZIP Codes by using this simple form found here: Custom Delivery Areas on Google Maps Hope this can help a few more small businesses through this time. Snapshot of the form and map:

Free resource to help retailers, restaurants & small businesses closed due to SaH/SiP

August 31, 2021 by Randy Majors

During this challenging time for small businesses, this free online resource may help some small businesses amidst the current Stay-at-Home/Shelter-in-Place orders. For retailers, restaurants and other small businesses that have had to close due to SaH/SiP orders, delivery of their goods directly to customers is an option many are doing or considering to help them get through this. But a pain-point can be that communicating to customers exactly where they can deliver can be cumbersome or costly, and small business owners don’t have time right now to deal with this. Easily let customers know where you can deliver! To that end, … Read more

New feature: DRAW ANY SHAPE on the map to reveal all of the Counties, ZIP Codes, Cities, Townships and more

November 7, 2021 by Randy Majors

With all of the Map tools on the randymajors.org Research Hub, you’ve always been able to click on the map to know what ZIP Code, city, county or Section Township and Range that you clicked on. Now with this latest version of the map tools, you can DRAW ANY SHAPE and identify what’s there! Here are the simple steps: Click the “Selection Tools” button on the left side of the map Select the shape you want to draw (line, custom polygon or rectangle) in the upper left corner Draw any shape on the map and double-click the map when you’re … Read more

So…what is randymajors.org Research Hub anyway?

January 28, 2021 by Randy Majors

“So what is your website all about?” I increasingly get asked some form of this question about randymajors.org Research Hub. A BRIEF BACKSTORY: Back in 2006-2010, the randymajors.org website was a fairly small collection of blog posts about family history plus some of my photography. Then, in 2011 I launched the AncestorSearch on Google Search and Historical U.S. Counties on Google Maps tools primarily aimed at genealogy and historical research. FAST FORWARD TO 2018: I decided to broaden the appeal of the mapping and search tools to a more general audience by launching the present-day County Lines on Google Maps tool. I continued to … Read more

Now you can get access to an AD-FREE version of AncestorSearch on Google Search too!

January 28, 2021 by Randy Majors

Back in December, I announced a way to get access to all of the map tools AD-FREE and FULL-SCREEN. I’m pleased to announce an AD-FREE option is now available for AncestorSearch on Google Search as well! The functionality is identical, but with no ads: The ad-free versions of the map and search tools are formatted to work equally well on your smartphone or tablet too! All the details are on this page: NEW: Enjoy ALL of the map and search tools AD-FREE and FULL-SCREEN! GOOD NEWS: If you have already signed up for access to the ad-free map tools, you now … Read more

Enjoy ALL of the map and search tools AD-FREE and FULLSCREEN!

January 30, 2021 by Randy Majors

Over the years, I’ve had lots of requests for a way to subscribe to the map and search tools on randymajors.org rather than having advertisements displayed. This has been a challenge, as I want to keep the tools free of charge for everyone to use, and the advertising helps offset the significant costs associated with the development and operation of the tools. I’m excited to say that you now have an opportunity to choose what works best for you: Free map tools supported by advertising (left/top), AD-FREE FULLSCREEN map and search tools (right/bottom) The above screenshots are from … Read more

Check out the new Custom Maps on Google Maps tool

August 31, 2021 by Randy Majors

The new Custom Maps on Google Maps makes it easy to create your own custom Google Map using any combination of ZIP Codes, counties, cities and more! You can use this tool to quickly create: sales territory maps delivery area maps service area maps …all on Google Maps! If your territory is composed of dozens of ZIP Codes, you can choose to ‘merge’ them to show an overall territory boundary. Then, add your own title to the map, and even choose colors. An example link you create looks like this: https://www.randymajors.org/customgmap?mapbuilder=true&zips=10023,10024,10025,10026&zipboundary=show&title=My+Service+Territory The resulting map would look something like this: Be … Read more

A quick update on the increased speed of the mapping tools

January 28, 2021 by Randy Majors

After some infrastructure upgrades, all of the randymajors.org mapping tools are now operating faster! In my time tests, I was seeing drawing speeds that were 2.5x to 3x faster than before the upgrade. The very largest of map layers, such as Section Township Range on Google Maps, seem to see the biggest improvement (drawing in 5-6 seconds now vs 25-30 seconds before the upgrade), although other layers such as Historical Counties, County Lines and ZIP Codes also drew about 2x faster that before. So you should on average see the information panel above the maps update a bit faster and … Read more

A Colorful Post about City Limits and ZIP Codes

January 28, 2021 by Randy Majors

This post is all about color. In particular, adding color to the city limits and ZIP Codes in these tools: City Limits on Google Maps ZIP Codes on Google Maps A few people have wondered if I could add color to the city limits — you know — kind of like in those old Rand McNally road atlases, or National Geographic maps. Now, the city limits are colored in by default. So when you use the City Limits map tool, the map will look like this: This should make it much easier to distinguish the individual cities, especially in large metropolitan … Read more