What parameters should I use in a Google Maps URL to go to a lat-lon?

Question

I would like to produce a url for Google Maps that goes to a specific latitude and longitude. Now, I generate a url such as this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?z=11&t=k&q=58 41.881N 152 31.324W

The resulting map comes up with a round "A" balloon pointer, which seems to point to the nearest named object, and a green arrow, which points to the lat-lon. Sometimes, as in this example, the "A" pointer is centered and is far enough away that you cannot see the pointer to the lat-lon. (Zoom out to see both pointers in this example. The "A" pointer is in the center of Alaska, while the lat-long pointer is on Kodiak Island.)

Are there some parameters I can use in the Google Maps URL that will produce a single pointer to a designated lat-lon? (This loads in a separate window. It is not embedded.)

Manic

Answer 1

In May 2017 Google announced the Google Maps URLs API that allows to construct universal cross-platform links. Now you can open Google maps on web, Android or iOS using the same URL string in form:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&parameters

There are several modes that you can use: search, directions, show map and show street view.

So you can use something like

https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=58.698017,-152.522067

to open map and place marker on some lat and lng.

For further details please refer to:

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/urls/guide

With zoom (z: 1 to 20) you can use this:

https://maps.google.com/?q=38.6531004,-90.243462&ll=38.6531004,-90.243462&z=3

Sarmentum

Tried a bunch of ways and q= with ll= and z= is the ONLY way I've gotten lat/lon to work with a zome factor. – Pleinair

Answer 2

This is current accepted way to link to a specific lat lon (rather than search for the nearest object).

http://maps.google.com/maps?z=12&t=m&q=loc:38.9419+-78.3020

• z is the zoom level (1-20)
• t is the map type ("m" map, "k" satellite, "h" hybrid, "p" terrain, "e" GoogleEarth)
• q is the search query, if it is prefixed by loc: then google assumes it is a lat lon separated by a +

Roxanaroxane

Thank you! 'loc:' was the key for me, as just a lat long puts a green pin at the lat/long and then a red pin at the nearest search result. – Waylen

FYI, a recent change to google maps means that the loc parameter no-longer seems to work as it did. You need to add an @ symbol - see here: #22940225 – Harrow

t=k the way to go for Satellite / current Earth! – Illuminati

How to make your url zoom parameter work: #32806584 – Galloot

Is it possible to add more than one marker to an app? And if it works, how does the structure looks like? – Contuse

Is there any way to include options like "Avoid Highways" or Tolls etc using the URL. I know how to do that using the Intent but I want to use that in the URL. – Shabbir

Answer 3

yeah I had the same question for a long time and I found the perfect one. here are some parameters from it.

https://maps.google.com?parameter = value

q=

is used to specify the search query in Google maps search.
eg :

https://maps.google.com?q=newyork or
https://maps.google.com?q=51.03841,-114.01679

near=

is used to specify the location alternative to q=. Also has the added effect of allowing you to increase the AddressDetails Accuracy value by being more precise. Mostly only useful if query is a business or suchlike.

z=

Zoom level. Can be set 19 normally, but in certain cases can go up to 23.

ll=

Latitude and longitude of the map centre point. Must be in that order. Requires decimal format. Interestingly, you can use this without q, in which case it doesn’t show a marker.

sll=

Similar to ll, only this sets the lat/long of the centre point for a business search. Requires the same input criteria as ll.

t=

Sets the kind of map shown. Can be set to:

m – normal  map,
k – satellite,
h – hybrid,
p – terrain

saddr=

Sets the starting point for directions searches. You can also add text into this in brackets to bold it in the directions sidebar.

daddr=

Sets the end point for directions searches, and again will bold any text added in brackets.You can also add "+to:" which will set via points. These can be added multiple times.

via=

Allows you to insert via points in directions. Must be in CSV format. For example, via=1,5 addresses 1 and 5 will be via points without entries in the sidebar. The start point (which is set as 0), and 2, 3 and 4 will all show full addresses.

doflg=

Changes the units used to measure distance (will default to the standard unit in country of origin). Change to ptk for metric or ptm for imperial.

msa=

Does stuff with My Maps. Set to 0 show defined My Maps, b to turn the My Maps sidebar on, 1 to show the My Maps tab on its own, or 2 to go to the new My Map creator form.

dirflg=

can set miscellaneous values below:

h - Avoid highway
t - Avoid tolls

reference http://moz.com/ugc/everything-you-never-wanted-to-know-about-google-maps-parameters

Solipsism

@SameeraR. Is there any way to include "Avoid Highways, Tolls" etc option using these URLs? – Shabbir

there is a parameter called dirflg. dirflg=h (Avoid highways), dirflg=t (Avoid tolls). I'll include this in the answer too. – Solipsism

Docs says that @ in https://[email protected],-114.01679 - should work. but it doesn't. Any idea why ? – Ultrasonic

did you try adding '/' before '?' like this maps.google.com/[email protected],-122.1836 – Solipsism

Answer 4

This should help with the new Google Maps:

https://maps.google.com/maps/place/<name>/@<lat>,<long>,15z/data=<mode-value>

• The place adds a marker.
• name could be a search term like "realtors"/"lawyers".
• lat and long are the coordinates in decimal format and in that order.
• 15z sets zoom level to 15 (must be between 1 ~ 20).
• You can enforce a particular view mode (map is default) - earth or terrain by adding these:
  • Terrain: /data=!5m1!1e4
  • Earth: /data=!3m1!1e3

E.g.: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lawyer/@48.8187768,2.3792362,15z/data=!3m1!1e3

References:
https://moz.com/blog/new-google-maps-url-parameters http://dddavemaps.blogspot.in/2015/07/google-maps-url-tricks.html

Farsighted

It would be nice to see how to make the map default to a terrain or hybrid view. – Kerwon

@ThomasValadez - I have edited my answer highlighting the same. – Farsighted

Is there any way to avoid Highways and tolls using the URL? – Shabbir

also, for satellite map - /data=!3m1!1e3 – Carnal

Answer 5

The following works as of April 2014. Delimiting each component of the URL with + and & for spaces and addition statements, respectively.

Full HTML:

<iframe src="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Scottish+Rite+Hamilton+ON&loc:43.25911+-79.879494&z=15&output=embed"></iframe>

Broken down:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=

where ?q= starts the general search, which I provide a venue, city, province info using + for spaces.

Scottish+Rite+Hamilton+ON

Next the geo-data. Lat and lng.

&loc:43.25911+-79.879494

Zoom level

&z=15

Required for iframes:

&output=embed

Brawley

Thank you very much for providing this information. This is exactly what I was looking for! – Nancienancy

The zoom level parameter doesn't seem to make any difference, has this param changed? E.G compare maps.google.com/… and maps.google.com/… – Pyroxylin

When I've tried using q and loc together the q is used and the loc parameter is ignored. – Strap

@Dave Barnett if you are still on the site can you give an updated version because its not working for me – Seriate

Answer 6

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=58%2041.881N%20152%2031.324W

Just use the coordinates as q-parameter. Strip the z and t prameters. While z should actually just be the zoom level, it seems that it won't work if you set any.

t is the map type. Having that said, it's not obvious how those parameters would affect the result in the shown way. But they do.

Maybe you should try the ll-parameter, but only decimal format will be accepted.

You can find a quick overview of all the parameters here.

Outcrop

Your link pointed to the best answer - put "loc:" after "q=", as in maps.google.com/maps?z=11&t=k&q=loc:58 41.881N 152 31.324W – Manic

Cool thing, didn't know of this one. I would have created a custom marker, but this seems easier :) – Outcrop

How can we avoid highways and tolls using the URL? – Shabbir

Answer 7

If you need a name on your pin, you can also use:

http://maps.google.com/?q=MY%20LOCATION@lat,long

Nelsen

Unfortunately the pin name doesn't work if we replace the lat,long with an address. :( – Fervency

This doesn't work anymore with the new Google Maps :( – Knuth

Answer 8

All the answers didn't work for me (the loc: and @ options). So here is my solution for the new Google maps (April 2014)

Use the q= for query description, for example the street or the name of the place. Use ll= for the lat, long coordinates.

You can add extra parameters like t=h (hybrid) and z=19 (zoom)

https://maps.google.com/?q=11+wall+street+new+york&ll=40.7060471,-74.0088901

https://maps.google.com/?q=new+york+stock+exchange&ll=40.7060471,-74.0088901

https://maps.google.com/?q=new+york+stock+exchange&ll=40.7060471,-74.0088901&t=h&z=19

Lifesaving

Answer 9

There have been a number of changes, some incompatible, since I asked this question 5 years ago. Currently, the following works properly:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/58°41.881N 152°31.324W/@58.698017,-152.522067,12z/

The first latitude/longitude will be used for the pin location and label. It can be in degrees-minutes-seconds, degrees-minutes, or degrees. The second latitude/longitude (following the "@") is the map center. It must be in degrees only in order for the zoom (12z) to be recognized.

For terrain view, you can append "data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0!5m1!1e4". I can find no documentation on this, though, so the spec could change.

Manic

Answer 10

New Version queries have a different format

To reach a lat long by url use (e.g.)

https://www.google.com/maps/search/-15.924,-5.719

Speechmaker

Answer 11

works fine https://maps.google.de/maps?q=51.404989,13.091751&z=17&t=k

Except

Answer 12

This doesn't have to be much more complicated than passing in a value for the 'q' parameter. Google is a search engine after all and can handle the same stuff it handles when users type queries into its text boxes

"maps.google.com?/q=32.5234,-78.23432"

Lonnie

You are correct. Google has changed to center the map on the coordinates instead of the nearest major object. The example in the original question works fine now. – Manic

Answer 13

This works to zoom into an area more then drop a pin: https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2,17.9820525,9z

And the params are:

@lat,lng,zoom

Gerick

Answer 14

If you only have degrees minutes seconds you can pass them on the url :

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=latDegrees latMinutes latSeconds longDegrees longMinutes longSeconds 

substitute in %20 for the spaces

Violaviolable

Answer 15

"ll" worked best for me, see:

http://mapki.com/wiki/Google_Map_Parameters (query reference)

it shall not be too hard to convert minutes, seconds to decimal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_degrees

for a marker, possibly the best would be ?q=Description@lat,long

Coverup

things change over time, especially for agile teams like Google. History of internet is one of problems. I would not expect that answer which perhaps was a solution in 2012 will still hold in 2014, 2017 or later... Sorry about that. Stack Overflow is full of historic quotes to things that do not exist any more. – Coverup