LocationIQ

Provides forward/reverse geocoding and batch geocoding

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API keyHTTPSCORSGeocoding

Verified today: 100% uptime

API key

Required

HTTPS

Supported

Browser calls

Yes, CORS enabled

Status

Live · 100/100

Overview & Architectural Role

LocationIQ provides programmatic access to provides forward/reverse geocoding and batch geocoding. Delivered over secure HTTPS protocols, it exposes structured endpoints designed to integrate cleanly into modern frontend frameworks, backend microservices, and automated data pipelines without requiring local database provisioning.

Who it is built for

Engineers building web dashboards, mobile applications, CLI utilities, or background cron workers in need of reliable geocoding data feeds.

Architectural Advantage

Consuming LocationIQ removes the operational overhead of running custom scrapers, orchestrating headless browser fleets, or manually seeding and maintaining a local database. Instead of reverse-engineering volatile DOM layouts or dealing with anti-bot IP blocks, your application connects directly to a standardized JSON interface that supports client-side browser execution out of the box. Dedicated authentication ensures rate quotas and credential tracking per project environment.

What our checks found

Health score: 100/100
Reliability: 100%
Average latency: 3894ms

Last checked 2026-10-24. Measured independently, not self-reported by the provider.

Core Use Cases & Architecture Ideas

Practical real-world patterns for integrating LocationIQ into software systems.

Autocomplete Address & Location Form

Prevent shipping errors by resolving postal codes and street addresses into standardized coordinates during signup or checkout.

Architecture: Debounced client-side input calls an internal proxy route connected to LocationIQ, returning instant coordinate suggestions.

Store Locator & Proximity Matcher

Calculate the closest physical branches or delivery hubs based on user-provided city names or latitude/longitude.

Architecture: Backend geocodes user input via LocationIQ, then executes spatial PostGIS queries to return the top nearest facilities sorted by distance.

Interactive Travel & Route Visualizer

Plot points of interest, tourist paths, or elevation profiles dynamically on Leaflet/MapLibre map canvases.

Architecture: Single-page web client ingests geospatial GeoJSON boundaries from LocationIQ and renders vectorized overlays onto map layers.

Code Implementation Examples

Production-ready starting templates with error handling for LocationIQ.

// Requires an API key. Check the docs for whether it goes in a header or a query parameter.
// Modern native fetch with error handling
async function callApi() {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://locationiq.org/api/v1/resource', {
      method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
      Accept: 'application/json',
    },
    });

    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}: ${response.statusText}`);
    }

    const data = await response.json();
    console.log('Response payload:', data);
    return data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('API request failed:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

// callApi();

Response Payload & Live Testing

Inspect the expected JSON structure returned by LocationIQ.

Expected JSON Response Payload

Authentic sample payload structure to evaluate schema attributes before integration.

{
  "query": "San Francisco, CA",
  "results": [
    {
      "formatted_address": "San Francisco, California, USA",
      "lat": 37.7749,
      "lon": -122.4194,
      "timezone": "America/Los_Angeles",
      "postal_code": "94102"
    }
  ],
  "total_matches": 1
}

Format: application/json

Integration Considerations & Best Practices

Technical factors to keep in mind when integrating LocationIQ into production environments.

Implement In-Memory or Edge Caching

Avoid triggering rate limits on public feeds by caching response payloads in Redis, Vercel KV, or standard HTTP Cache-Control headers with a 5-to-15 minute TTL.

Shield Credentials in Backend Route Handlers

Never expose private API keys in client-side JavaScript or bundle environments. Proxy requests through a Next.js API route or serverless backend to keep secret keys out of public DevTools inspection.

Direct Client-Side Browser Support

CORS headers are validated and present on responses. You can safely call this endpoint directly from frontend React, Vue, or static HTML pages without an intermediary proxy server.

Validate HTTP Status Before Parsing JSON

Always inspect response.ok before executing response.json(). Upstream services returning 4xx or 502 Bad Gateway often serve HTML error pages, which cause syntax errors when parsed as JSON.

Where this listing comes from

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LocationIQ — common questions

Answered from what our own scheduled checks found, not from the provider's marketing.

Is LocationIQ free to use?

LocationIQ is listed in our free catalogue, but it requires an API key, so you will need to register before your first call. Providers frequently reserve higher limits and commercial use for paid plans.

Does LocationIQ need an API key?

Yes. LocationIQ authenticates with an API key. Keep it server-side rather than in browser code, because anything in your frontend bundle is readable by anyone who opens developer tools.

Can I call LocationIQ from browser JavaScript?

Yes. LocationIQ returned CORS headers when we checked it, so a browser will let your page read the response. You can fetch it directly from client-side JavaScript with no proxy and no backend.

Is LocationIQ still working?

Yes, as of 2026-10-24. Our automated check reached LocationIQ and recorded a 100% reliability score with a median response time of 3894 ms. We re-check on a schedule, and this page updates with the result.

Is LocationIQ available over HTTPS?

Yes. LocationIQ serves over HTTPS, so you can call it from a secure page without triggering a mixed-content block.