Example 1: Geocode and Boundary Request

Updated by PolicyMap

Simple geocode an address and return Census geographies
The query string below is used to geocode an address, return the latitude and longitude, and what census tract, zip code, county, and congressional member the address sits in.

ty=data&t=geo,bnd&geoa=821 Traction Ave.,90013&bt=4,6,7,23&md=1

Definition of parameters in string
  • ty: The service type, which in this case is 'data': a JSON string.
  • t: The data sub type. A single or comma delimited set of sub types. In this example; geo=geocoding an address and bnd=request boundary object.
  • geoa: The geocode search string. A free-form string of an address to geocode. As with most geocoders, it can handle many different address formats.
  • bt: The boundary type id. A single or comma delimited set of numbers. In this example; 4=county, 6=tracts, 7=Zip Code Tabulation Area, 23=117th Congressional District.
  • md: Metadata only. Omits spatial data for boundary requests.
Results of the query string
{
    "responseCode": 200,
    "geo": {
        "address": {
            "zip": "90013",
            "address": "821 Traction Ave<BR>Los Angeles CA 90013-1855",
            "suite": "",
            "address2": null,
            "city": "Los Angeles",
            "address1": "821 Traction Ave",
            "plus4": "1855",
            "state": "CA"
        },
        "lng": "-118.235240",
        "level": "P4",
        "success": true,
        "acodes": "V44-I44-P7-100",
        "lat": "34.045080",
        "which": 3
    },
    "bnd": {
        "boundaries": [
            {
                "boundary": {
                    "id": 696960970,
                    "identifier": "06037",
                    "name": "Los Angeles",
                    "type": {
                        "boundaryType": {
                            "id": 4,
                            "definitionId": 1252,
                            "type": "County"
                        }
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "boundary": {
                    "id": 697048757,
                    "identifier": "06037206052",
                    "name": "06037206052",
                    "type": {
                        "boundaryType": {
                            "id": 6,
                            "definitionId": 1255,
                            "type": "Census Tract"
                        }
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "boundary": {
                    "id": 697391059,
                    "identifier": "90013",
                    "name": "90013",
                    "type": {
                        "boundaryType": {
                            "id": 7,
                            "definitionId": 1257
                        }
                    }
                }
            },
            {
                "boundary": {
                    "id": 4645854,
                    "identifier": "0634",
                    "name": "California's 34th District",
                    "type": {
                        "boundaryType": {
                            "id": 23,
                            "definitionId": 696,
                            "type": "Congressional District"
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        ]
    },
    "debug": {
        "executionTime": "0.3475 seconds"
    },
    "versions": null,
    "loginState": 4,
    "userId": null
}

Some elements of the original return have been removed to simplify the results here.
Description of the results

The geo returns the longitude of -118.235240 and latitude of 34.045080.

The bnd object returns

  • County ID=06037,
  • Census Tract ID=06037206052,
  • Zip Code Tabulation Area ID=90013,
  • 117th Congressional District ID=California's 34th District

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