M
API Matrix

LocationIQ API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Geocoding / API Key Intermediate HTTPS CORS
Varies by plan (check documentation)
77 Score
Grade B
Visit Official Site Compare Alternatives

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

IP address details
latitude and longitude
city and country
timezone
ISP information

Example Response

JSON 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 

// ⚠️ Note: This URL may be a documentation page. Check official docs for actual API endpoint.
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

401 Unauthorized Access Token The key parameter is missing or invalid.
✓ Register at locationiq.com and pass your API key as key=YOUR_API_KEY in each request.
400 Invalid Request - No query passed The q parameter for the address is empty or missing.
✓ Always include a non-empty q= parameter, for example q=New+York+City.
429 Too Many Requests You exceeded the rate limit of 2 requests per second or the daily quota.
✓ Add a small delay between requests (at least 500 ms) and monitor daily usage in your dashboard.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 5/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 17/20
✓ Reliability 10/15

Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth API Key
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS YES
Category Geocoding
Difficulty Intermediate
Verified: 2026-04-07

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