Overview
LocationIQ is a flexible geocoding API that converts addresses to coordinates (forward geocoding) and coordinates back to addresses (reverse geocoding), plus supports batch lookups. It is powered by OpenStreetMap data and offers a generous free tier of 5,000 requests per day. It is a popular open-source-friendly alternative to Google Maps Geocoding.
Beginner Tip
Sign up at locationiq.com for a free API key with no credit card required. Use the /v1/search endpoint for forward geocoding and /v1/reverse for converting lat/lon back to a human-readable address.
Available Data
The kind of data this API exposes, based on its documentation. We could not call the endpoint to confirm the exact field names.
Example Response
Illustrative shape only — we were not able to call this endpoint (it requires credentials or exposes no public sample URL), so the fields below show the kind of data this API returns rather than a recorded response.
{
"status": "success",
"data": {
"result": "Data from LocationIQ",
"description": "Provides forward/reverse geocoding and batch geocoding",
"timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
}
} Field Reference
[0].display_name Full human-readable address of the top matching result. [0].lat Latitude of the geocoded location as a string. [0].lon Longitude of the geocoded location as a string. [0].type Type of OSM feature found, e.g. city, street, or attraction. [0].importance Relevance score between 0 and 1; higher means a better match. Implementation Example
Calls a real endpoint of this API. Replace any placeholder credentials with your own key.
const url = "https://locationiq.org/docs/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Generated guidance based on this API's documentation, not observed by us. Treat it as a starting point and check against the provider's own error reference.
Metadata Score Breakdown
Estimated from metadata — endpoint not independently tested
Metadata estimate · endpoint not independently tested
Technical Specifications
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