OpenStreetMap

Navigation, geolocation and geographical data

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OAuthNo HTTPSNo CORSGeocoding

Verified today: 100% uptime

API key

OAuth flow

HTTPS

Not supported

Browser calls

No, needs a proxy

Status

Live · 100/100

Overview & Architectural Role

OpenStreetMap provides programmatic access to navigation, geolocation and geographical data. Delivered over secure HTTP 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 OpenStreetMap 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 designed for backend ingestion with consistent schema schemas. Dedicated authentication ensures rate quotas and credential tracking per project environment.

What our checks found

Health score: 100/100
Reliability: 100%
Average latency: 3151ms

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

Core Use Cases & Architecture Ideas

Practical real-world patterns for integrating OpenStreetMap 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 OpenStreetMap, 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 OpenStreetMap, 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 OpenStreetMap and renders vectorized overlays onto map layers.

Code Implementation Examples

Production-ready starting templates with error handling for OpenStreetMap.

// Uses OAuth. Exchange your credentials for an access token first.
// Modern native fetch with error handling
async function callApi() {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/api/v1/resource', {
      method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      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();

This API does not send CORS headers, so a browser will block a direct call from your front end. Call it from your server, or put a small proxy in front of it.

This API is served over plain HTTP. Browsers block HTTP requests made from an HTTPS page, so you will need a server-side call.

Response Payload & Live Testing

Inspect the expected JSON structure returned by OpenStreetMap.

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 OpenStreetMap 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.

CORS Proxy Required for Browser Frontend Calls

This API does not send Access-Control-Allow-Origin response headers. Direct fetch() calls from browser JavaScript will fail due to Same-Origin Policy. Route your calls through a server backend or lightweight edge proxy.

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

Find IP address location information

No keyCORSHTTPS

Verified today: 100% uptime

View Details

OpenStreetMap — common questions

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

Is OpenStreetMap free to use?

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

Does OpenStreetMap need an API key?

OpenStreetMap uses OAuth rather than a simple key, so you register an application and complete an authorisation flow before making calls. That is more setup than a key, and it is why OAuth APIs are harder to try quickly.

Can I call OpenStreetMap from browser JavaScript?

Not directly. OpenStreetMap did not return CORS headers when we checked, so the browser will block your page from reading the response even though the request itself succeeds. Call it from a server, or put a small proxy in front of it.

Is OpenStreetMap still working?

Yes, as of 2026-10-24. Our automated check reached OpenStreetMap and recorded a 100% reliability score with a median response time of 3151 ms. We re-check on a schedule, and this page updates with the result.

Is OpenStreetMap available over HTTPS?

No. OpenStreetMap was only reachable over plain HTTP when we checked. Browsers block HTTP requests made from an HTTPS page, so this will fail in production unless you call it from a server instead.