Companion to the Index
Photo to land location
Drop a photo of a field or a for-sale sign. If the file still has a GPS tag, this page reads the latitude and longitude in your browser, looks up the place, and links you to that state’s page in the Index.
Read a photo
Choose a photo, or enter a location below.
If the photo has no GPS
Shared photos often lose location. On iPhone, allow location for Camera, then transfer the original instead of a re-saved copy. On Android, allow location for the camera and avoid share actions that strip it. You can also type the spot yourself.
How it works
- Your browser reads the photo’s EXIF data, including GPS when it is there, plus the camera time and compass direction when those tags exist. HEIC is supported for the metadata read.
- The U.S. Census Bureau geocoder returns state, county, county FIPS, incorporated place, and ZIP Code Tabulation Area. The call uses JSONP because that service does not offer browser CORS. No API key is required, and no photo is attached.
- A street name and postal code come from OpenStreetMap through Photon. If Photon has no street or does not answer, one follow-up request goes to Nominatim. Both are skipped when you search by street address, because the Census match already has one.
- The result links to the Index for that state, or for the county when a county page exists.
Census and map services can be busy, fail, or disagree. If a lookup fails, the coordinates stay on the page so you can retry. Outside the United States, the Census geocoder will not return a county.
Questions
Does the photo leave my browser?
No. The image is read on your device and is not uploaded. To name the county and a ZIP Code Tabulation Area, the page sends the coordinates to the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. To look up a street, it may send the coordinates to Photon or, if that fails, Nominatim. Both use OpenStreetMap. The picture itself is not sent.
Why do some photos have no location?
Many phones strip location when a photo is texted, posted, or saved through another app. Screenshots never contain GPS. The file has to be the original from the camera, taken while location was allowed for the camera.
How do I keep location on an iPhone photo?
Allow location for the Camera app under Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera. When you share, keep location if the share sheet offers it, or transfer the original file. A copy made by some apps drops the GPS tags.
How do I keep location on an Android photo?
Allow location for the camera app. Share or copy the original file. Some gallery apps remove location when you share. Use the option that includes location information when it is offered.
What if there is no GPS data?
Enter a latitude and longitude, or a U.S. street address. Address lookup uses the Census Bureau geocoder. That request sends the address text, not a photo.
Is the ZIP code a mailing ZIP?
A ZIP from an address match is the ZIP on that Census address range. A ZIP from coordinates is often a Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area, which approximates a ZIP code and is not always the USPS code. An OpenStreetMap postal code is labeled separately.
Will HEIC photos from an iPhone work?
Yes, when the HEIC file still has location metadata. Some browsers cannot preview HEIC, but the coordinates can still be read. If a messaging app already converted the photo, the location may be gone.
How precise is the dot?
It is the camera’s position when the photo was taken, not a surveyed property line. A weak signal can be off by much more than a few meters. The tool does not identify an owner.
Can I open the Index for that place?
Yes. After a U.S. location is found, the page links to that state’s Index page. If a county page has been published, it links to the county too.