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USC GIS Research Laboratory
Geocoding Web Service

The USC Geocoder can be used from desktop and/or web applications via the Geocoding Web Service interfaces listed below. The only required information is the API key, which is available in your account profile page. You may want to read the technical details and the known bugs.

API Version - 2.91

    - Previous versions - 2.9

Available Web Services


API #1 - .Net Geocode Web Service




API #2 - HTTP Geocode Web Service (Non-parsed)


  • API for non-parsed address data that can be used from scripts and http

  • API URL

    https://webgis.usc.edu/Services/Geocode/WebService/GeocoderWebServiceHttpNonParsed_V02_91.aspx?

    API Input Fields

    Parameter Required Description Example Possible Value
    apiKey true Click here for your API key api-key-value some text
    version true api version 2.91 2.91
    streetAddress false non-parsed street address value 3620 North Vermont Ave W. some text
    city false city value Beverly Hills some text
    state false state value CA some text
    zip false zip code value 90089 some text
    verbose false output full details true true, false
    format false output format csv csv, tsv, xml
    notStore false indicates if the transaction details should not be historically stored in your account true true, false

    API Output Fields and Index (for non-XML output)

    Position Field Required Description
    0 TransactionId true query id
    1 QueryStatusCodeValue true result code Quality
    2 QueryStatusCodeName true result code name Quality
    3 Latitude true decimal degree
    4 Longitude true decimal degree
    5 Quality true geocode quality Quality
    6 MatchedLocationType true matched location type Location Type
    7 MatchType true geocode match type Match Types
    8 TimeTaken true processing time
    9 Census2000Block false Census 2000 block for the output point
    10 Census2000BlockGroup false Census 2000 block group for the output point
    11 Census2000Tract false Census 2000 tract for the output point
    12 Census2000CountyFips false Census 2000 county fips for the output point
    13 Census2000StateFips false Census 2000 state fips for the output point
    14 MNumber false street number of address that matched
    15 MNumberFractional false street number fractional of address that matched
    16 MPreDirectional false street predirectional of address that matched
    17 MPreQualifier false street prequalifier of address that matched
    18 MName false street name of address that matched
    19 MPostQualifier false street postqualifier of address that matched
    20 MSuffix false street suffix of address that matched
    21 MPostDirectional false street postdirectional of address that matched
    22 MSuiteType false suite type of address that matched
    23 MSuiteNumber false suite number of address that matched
    24 MPostOfficeBoxType false post office box type of address that matched
    25 MPostOfficeBoxNumber false post office box number of address that matched
    26 MCity false city of address that matched
    27 MConsolidatedCity false consolidated city of address that matched
    28 MMinorCivilDivision false minor civil division of address that matched
    29 MCountySubRegion false county sub region of address that matched
    30 MCounty false county of address that matched
    31 MState false state of address that matched
    32 MZip false zip of address that matched
    33 MZipPlus1 false zip+1 of address that matched
    34 MZipPlus2 false zip+2 of address that matched
    35 MZipPlus3 false zip+3 of address that matched
    36 MZipPlus4 false zip+4 of address that matched
    37 MZipPlus5 false zip+5 of address that matched
    38 PNumber false street number of the parsed address
    39 PNumberFractional false street number fractional of the parsed address
    40 PPreDirectional false street predirectional of the parsed address
    41 PPreQualifier false street prequalifier of the parsed address
    42 PName false street name of the parsed address
    43 PPostQualifier false street postqualifier of the parsed address
    44 PSuffix false street suffix ofthe parsed address
    45 PPostDirectional false street postdirectional of the parsed address
    46 PSuiteType false suite type of the parsed address
    47 PSuiteNumber false suite number of the parsed address
    48 PPostOfficeBoxType false post office box type of the parsed address
    49 PPostOfficeBoxNumber false post office box number of the parsed address
    50 PCity false city of the parsed address
    51 PConsolidatedCity false consolidated city of the parsed address
    52 PMinorCivilDivision false minor civil division of the parsed address
    53 PCountySubRegion false county sub region of the parsed address
    54 PCounty false county of the parsed address
    55 PState false state of the parsed address
    56 PZip false zip of the parsed address
    57 PZipPlus1 false zip+1 of the parsed address
    58 PZipPlus2 false zip+2 of the parsed address
    59 PZipPlus3 false zip+3 of the parsed address
    60 PZipPlus4 false zip+4 of the parsed address
    61 PZipPlus5 false zip+5 of the parsed address
    62 FNumber false street number of the matched feature
    63 FNumberFractional false street number fractional of the matched feature
    64 FPreDirectional false street predirectional of the matched feature
    65 FPreQualifier false street prequalifier of the matched feature
    66 FName false street name of the matched feature
    67 FPostQualifier false street postqualifier of the matched feature
    68 FSuffix false street suffix ofthe matched feature
    69 FPostDirectional false street postdirectional of the matched feature
    70 FSuiteType false suite type of the matched feature
    71 FSuiteNumber false suite number of the matched feature
    72 FPostOfficeBoxType false Post office box type of the matched feature
    73 FPostOfficeBoxNumber false Post office box number of the matched feature
    74 FCity false city of the matched feature
    75 FConsolidatedCity false consolidated city of the matched feature
    76 FMinorCivilDivision false minor civil division of the matched feature
    77 FCountySubRegion false county sub region of the matched feature
    78 FCounty false county of the matched feature
    79 FState false state of the matched feature
    80 FZip false zip of the matched feature
    81 FZipPlus1 false zip+1 of the matched feature
    82 FZipPlus2 false zip+2 of the matched feature
    83 FZipPlus3 false zip+3 of the matched feature
    84 FZipPlus4 false zip+4 of the matched feature
    85 FZipPlus5 false zip+5 of the matched feature
    86 FArea false area of the matched feature
    87 FAreaType false area type of the matched feature
    88 FGeometry false geometry of the matched feature
    89 FSource false source of the matched feature
    90 FVintage false vintage of the matched feature
    91 FPrimaryIdField false the name of the primary id field of the matched feature
    92 FPrimaryIdValue false the value of the primary id field of the matched feature
    93 FSecondaryIdField false the name of the secondary id field of the matched feature
    94 FSecondaryIdValue false the value of the secondary id field of the matched feature

    Notes
    - M____: The attribute value of your input address that used in finding a reference feature
    - P____: The equivalent parsed attribute value of your input address
    - F____: The attribute value of the matched reference feature used for interpolation

  • API Examples

    Example 1 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV)

    Example 2 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML)

    Example 3 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV, Verbose)

    Example 4 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (TSV, Verbose)

    Example 5 - 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose)

    Example 6 - PO Box 221, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose)

    Example 7 - PO Box 221 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (CSV, Verbose)



API #3 - HTTP Geocode Web Service (Non-parsed) with Advanced Options


  • API for non-parsed address data that can be used from scripts and http that allows advanced options to be specified

  • API URL

    https://webgis.usc.edu/Services/Geocode/WebService/GeocoderWebServiceHttpNonParsedAdvanced_V02_91.aspx?

    API Input Fields

    This API's input field set includes all of the input and output parameters from API #2 above with the additions in the following table. Each of these are described in the techincal details. The default values used here are automatically used in API #2 above.

    Parameter Required Description Values Default value
    r false whether or not to use attribute relaxation true, false true
    ratts false the attributes allowed to be relaxed; only applies if shouldUseRelaxation is true comma separated list from the following options: pre, suffix, post, city, zip pre,suffix,post,city,zip
    sub false whether or not to use substring matching true, false true
    sou false whether or not to use soundex true, false false
    souatts false the attributes allowed to be soundex; only applies if shouldUseSoundex is true comma separated list from the following options: name, city name,city
    h false which feature matching hierarchy to use uncertaintyBased, u, featureMatchingHierarchy, f, featureMatchingHierarchy
    refs false which reference data soiurces to use all

    - or one or more of the following -

    parcelCentroids,
    parcelGeometries,
    tiger2008,
    zipPlus4,
    census2008Places,
    census2000Places,
    census2008ConsolidatedCities,
    census2000ConsolidatedCities,
    census2000MCDs,
    census2008ZCTAs,
    census2000ZCTAs,
    census2008CountySubRegions,
    census2000CountySubRegions,
    census2008Counties,
    census2000Counties,
    census2008States         		all

    API Output Fields and Index (for non-XML output)

    The output fields for this API are the same as API #2 above

  • API Examples

    Example 1 - 9355 NE Burton Rd, Wrong City, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, All options false)
    - will fail to match a parcel because city is wrong

    Example 2 - 9355 NE Burton Rd, Wrong City, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Attribute Relxation on pre,suffix,city)
    - will succeed in matching a parcel even though city is wrong because the city attribute will be relaxed

    Example 3 - 9355 Berrton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, All options false)
    - will fail to match a parcel because the street name is wrong

    Example 4 - 9355 Berrton Way, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Soundex on street name)
    - will succeed in matching a parcel even though the street name is wrong because soundex is being used on the street name

    Example 5 - 9355 Berton Way, Bevirrly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, All options false)
    - will fail to match a parcel because the city name is wrong

    Example 6 - 9355 Berton Way, Bevirrly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Soundex on city)
    - will succeed in matching a parcel even though the city is wrong because soundex is being used on the city

    Example 7 - PO Box 123, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Feature matching hierarchy)
    - will match to ZIP 90210 (ZIP comes before city in the feature matching hierarchy)

    Example 8 - PO Box 123, Beverly Hills, ca, 90210 (XML, Verbose, Uncertainty hierarchy)
    - will match to city Beverly Hills (smaller area = less geographic uncertainty = more accurate geocode)

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