Geohash Tool

Convert Latitude & Longitude to Geohash /

Geohash to Latitude and Longitude with customizable precision

Coordinates

Geohash

Precision (1-12)

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What is a Geohash?

Geohash is a system for encoding geographic coordinates into a short string of letters and digits. This encoding divides the world into a grid of smaller cells, each represented by a unique Geohash string. The longer the Geohash, the more precise the location.

Developed by Gustavo Niemeyer in 2008, Geohashing is widely used in geospatial applications like mapping, geolocation, and geographic data storage.

Key Features of Geohash:

Compact Representation: Short alphanumeric strings make Geohashes easy to store and share.
Variable Precision: A longer Geohash string increases location accuracy.
Prefix Property: Shorter Geohashes represent larger areas, while longer ones define smaller areas.
Efficient Indexing: Geohashes allow efficient spatial queries and searches in databases.

How Does Geohash Work?

Geohash works by recursively dividing the world into a grid, assigning binary values to longitude and latitude, and encoding them into an alphanumeric string.

Step-by-Step Geohash Encoding Process

Define the Geographic Region: The world is initially treated as a single large rectangle.
Binary Division of Latitude and Longitude:
- Longitude is divided into two halves, assigning 0 to the left and 1 to the right.
- Latitude is then divided similarly, with 0 for the lower half and 1 for the upper.
Interleave the Bits: The binary values of latitude and longitude are interwoven to create a single binary sequence.
Convert to Base-32: The binary sequence is converted into a Base-32 representation using characters 0-9 and a-z (excluding a, i, l, and o).
Generate the Geohash String: The resulting Base-32 string represents a specific geographic location.

Example

For latitude 48.8566 (Paris) and longitude 2.3522, the corresponding Geohash is u09tunq6, representing an area of approximately 4.8 meters.

Use Cases and Applications of Geohash

Location-based Search & Mapping: Efficiently find nearby locations using Geohash prefixes.
Geographic Data Storage & Indexing: Used in databases like MongoDB and Elasticsearch.
Geospatial Clustering & Proximity Matching: Clustering algorithms use Geohashes for location grouping.
GPS Coordinate Compression: Reduces storage space, useful for mobile and IoT applications.
Delivery & Logistics Optimization: Used by courier and food delivery services.
Ride-Sharing and Transportation: Uber and Lyft use Geohashing for efficient driver allocation.
Weather and IoT Applications: Used for indexing weather data and sensor readings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How accurate is Geohash?

3 characters: ±2500 km
5 characters: ±78 km
7 characters: ±2.4 km
9 characters: ±76 m
12 characters: ±0.19 m

2. Can two different locations have the same Geohash?

No, each Geohash represents a unique geographic area. However, nearby locations share similar prefixes.

3. How do I decode a Geohash?

Decoding a Geohash reverses the encoding process, converting the Base-32 string back into latitude and longitude.

4. Is Geohash better than latitude/longitude?

Geohash is not necessarily better but offers efficient searching, indexing, and comparing locations.

5. How do businesses use Geohash?

Businesses use Geohash for location-based services, targeted advertising, asset tracking, and delivery optimization.

6. Are there alternatives to Geohash?

Yes, alternatives include Google's S2 Geometry, H3 Hexagonal Indexing, and Plus Codes.

Conclusion

Geohash is a powerful tool for encoding geographic locations into compact strings. It is widely used for spatial queries, location-based searches, and geographic data indexing. By understanding how Geohash works and its applications, you can leverage it for various real-world use cases.

Try our Geohash tool now to generate and decode Geohashes instantly!