Transport for Los Angeles, US API
Overview
The LA Metro API provides real-time positions of Metro buses and trains across Los Angeles, along with route and schedule data. It requires no API key, so you can start making requests immediately without any registration. This is a great API for learning how to work with real-time vehicle tracking and public transit data.
Beginner Tip
Begin by fetching all active vehicle positions from the /vehicles endpoint to see buses and trains moving in real time. Combine latitude and longitude values with a mapping library like Leaflet to build a live transit map.
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.
{
"route": "Line 1",
"origin": "Station A",
"destination": "Station B",
"departure": "08:30",
"arrival": "09:15",
"status": "On Time",
"delays_min": 0
} Field Reference
id Unique identifier of the vehicle, typically the bus or train number. latitude Current latitude of the vehicle, updated in near-real-time as the vehicle moves. longitude Current longitude of the vehicle. heading Direction the vehicle is traveling in degrees (0 = north, 90 = east, etc.). route_id The route the vehicle is currently operating on, such as 720 or 805. seconds_since_report How many seconds have passed since the vehicle last reported its position; lower values mean fresher data. Implementation Example
Calls a real endpoint of this API. Replace any placeholder credentials with your own key.
const url = "https://api.metro.net/agencies/lametro/vehicles/";
const response = await fetch(url);
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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