List of geocoding systems

Geocoding is the process of finding associated geographic coordinates (often expressed as latitude and longitude) from other geographic data, such as street addresses, or ZIP codes (postal codes).

Coding schemes

Some of these code systems are free for use, others have different licences.

Administrative

• HASC (Hierarchical Administrative Subdivision Codes)
• ONS code, UK only, administrative
• MARC country codes
• SGC codes, Canada only, statistical
• UN M.49 region codes, area code, continents, countries (like ISO 3166-1 numeric)

Airport Codes

• IATA airport codes, area /point codes, airports
• ICAO airport codes, area /point codes, airports
• IANA country codes similar to ISO 3166-1 alpha-2

Geodesey

• ISO 6709 Standard Representation for Geographic Point Location by Coordinates
• C-squares - compact encoding of geographic coordinate bounds (latitude-longitude)

  FIPS codes

  • FIPS country codes (FIPS 10-4), area code, administrative, free
  • FIPS place codes (FIPS 55) U.S. only, free
  • FIPS county codes (FIPS 6-4) US only, free
  • FIPS state codes (FIPS 5-2) US only
• Geohash and Geohash-36 open-source hash notation for locations
• Georef, a military / air navigation coordinate system for point and area identification
• Geotude, converts latitude and longitude to a single string
• What3words, converts 3x3 meter squares into 3 words ^[1]
• UTM
• WMO squares

Sport

• IOC country codes, area, worldwide
• ISO 3166 country and subdivision codes

Telephony & Radio Broadcasting

• ITU-R country codes
• ITU-T country calling codes
• ITU-T mobile calling codes
• Maidenhead Locator System (used by amateur radio operators)
• Marsden Squares

Postal Address

• Postal codes, area, worldwide, country-codes by UPU, free
• NAC, area codes (area can be indefinitely small)
• NUTS area code, partially administrative, worldwide: countries, Europe : country to community
• OpenPostcode, opensource global algorithm (local adaptations as Irish & Hong Kong postcodes).^[2]

Mapping not Geodesey

• OpenStreetMap shortlink, used as a short permanent link to map locations
• Quarter Degree Grid Cells
• UN M.49 region codes, area code, continents, countries (like ISO 3166-1 numeric)
• SALB (Second Administrative Level Boundaries), by UN
• UN/LOCODE, area, administrative, cities

References