{"id":3516,"date":"2023-01-27T18:16:25","date_gmt":"2023-01-27T16:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/?p=3516"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:30:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T09:30:42","slug":"zip-code-to-coordinates-converter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/blog\/postcode-to-coordinates-converter\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Postcode to Lat Long Converter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Converting postcodes to coordinates helps logistics, mapping &amp; understanding geographic patterns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Challenges include varying postcode granularity &amp; determining centroids for polygons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>PostgreSQL with PostGIS effectively calculates pseudo-centroids for postcode areas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Global converters need reliable sources to manage country complexities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the country, a postcode might be called a postcode, code postal, c\u00f3digo postal, PLZ, PIN code, \u90ae\u653f\u7f16\u7801, and the list undoubtedly goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you call it, a&nbsp;<em>postcode<\/em>&nbsp;is a sequence of alphanumeric characters, sometimes formatted with spaces or hyphens. The primary use of postcodes is to facilitate the routing and sorting letters and parcels. Still, they\u2019re also used for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/supply-chain-master-data-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">supply chain logistics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/address-validation-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">address cleaning<\/a>, statistical research, sales, marketing, spatial analysis\u2026 again, the list continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For each of those reasons, a business would need to identify the location of the postcodes. We\u2019ll walk you through a few use cases, discuss some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/blog\/the-7-challenges-of-building-a-standardized-zip-code-database\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">challenges <\/a>of converting postcodes to coordinates, and finally, how to build your postcode to coordinates converter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#d7efff\">\ud83d\udca1 For over 15 years, we have created the most comprehensive&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/postal-zip-code-database\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">worldwide postcode database<\/a>. Our location data is updated weekly, relying on more than 1,500 sources. Browse GeoPostcodes datasets and&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/public.geopostcodes.com\/portal-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">download a free sample here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-the-use-of-a-zip-code-to-coordinates-converter-\">What&#8217;s the Use of a Postcode to Lat Long Converter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know the coordinates of a postcode, you can determine the price of delivery or service level terms. You can identify which areas can be reached in one business day or two. It can also be convenient information to relate offers and demand based on distance criteria, for example, for jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Converting postcodes to coordinates is also critical for building maps and performing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/blog\/spatial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spatial analysis<\/a>, like looking for geographical patterns in your customer base. Are your customers mainly coming from specific areas or directions? How does that relate to transportation infrastructure, socio-demographic patterns, the presence (or absence) of competition, and so on?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To identify the physical location of a postcode, you need a tool that assigns a coordinate to every (geographic) postcode, something that converts a postcode into a set of coordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Bear in mind that some postcodes are non-geographic (like the H0 H0 H0 for Santa Claus in Canada).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-the-challenges-of-converting-zip-codes-to-coordinates-\">What Are the Challenges of Converting Postcodes to Coordinates?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Postcode granularity differs widely from country to country. It can directly identify a building, a part of a street, a town district, an entire town, or even a larger zone such as an administrative region. That means you\u2019ll have a lot of different types of data to process for an effective converter. The converter will have to deal with polygons, lines, and points and convert them into a coordinate<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The logical choice would be to use the \u201ccenter\u201d or the centroid of the data representing the postcode. But unfortunately, nothing is simple. There are cases where the geometric centroid of a polygon does not fall into that polygon:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/JJk2k9N.png\" alt=\"Centroid falling outside a polygon\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The postcode could be composed of several polygons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/XL1rtWo.png\" alt=\"A postcode of more than one polygon\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Or only points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/awxLHLx.png\" alt=\"A postcode of points\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You need a solution to ensure that the coordinate falls into the polygon or is one of the points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"so-how-do-you-build-a-zip-code-to-coordinates-converter-\">So How Do You Build a Postcode to Coordinates Converter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Software engineers know perfectly well what a coordinate is. It\u2019s a number that determines the position of a point in a space. Generally, we use&nbsp;<em>x<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>y<\/em>, and sometimes&nbsp;<em>z<\/em>, but there are others\u2014for example, the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Geographic_coordinate_system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geographic Coordinate System (GCS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh right,\u201d you say, \u201cI\u2019ve seen Google Maps; I know what latitude and longitude look like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Latitude and longitude are angles that refer to a point on an ellipsoid (an abstraction of the earth), but even they are not the only way to represent geographic coordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You must know the geodetic datum to know exactly what kind of reference is used for the coordinates. The one used by Google Maps and GPS is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_Geodetic_System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Geodetic System<\/a>&nbsp;or WGS 84.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their EPSG reference usually identifies GCSEs. For WGS 84, it\u2019s EPSG:4326. Another commonly used reference is EPSG:3857, also called&nbsp;Pseudo-Mercator. It\u2019s projected onto a square and widely used on maps everywhere online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Of course, there are many other reference systems that are specific to countries or regions; in this article, we\u2019ll show you how to transform data from one system to another.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"select-your-tools\">Select Your Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s time to define which tools you\u2019ll use for your postcode to coordinates converter. You\u2019ll need to store data, process it, extract a pseudo-centroid for different data collections (polygons or points), and visualize it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"storing-and-handling-data\">Storing and Handling Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As you\u2019re dealing with geographical coordinates, it seems obvious that you need a Geographical Information System (GIS) and a place to store data to work with. Why not a database?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A perfect (and free) choice is PostgreSQL with the PostGIS extension. We won\u2019t cover the PostgreSQL installation here, but once you\u2019ve installed it, you only need to execute&nbsp;<code>CREATE EXTENSION postgis;<\/code>&nbsp;in a psql prompt to set up PostGIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Note that other database systems propose similar solutions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"computing-pseudo-centroids\">Computing Pseudo-centroids<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A common way to find the centroid and to constrain it to be inside the geometry is to use the PostGIS function&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/postgis.net\/docs\/ST_PointOnSurface.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ST_PointOnSurface<\/a>. It\u2019s not the only algorithm available and not always the best choice, but it\u2019s a good default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s try it with the previous examples we illustrated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">SELECT ST_PointOnSurface(g), g\nFROM ST_GeomFromText('POLYGON((0 0, 0 1, 0.2 1, 0.2 0.2, 0.8 0.2, 0.8 1, 1 1, 1 0, 0 0))') AS g;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2zJZjVh.png\" alt=\"Coordinate within a polygon\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">SELECT ST_PointOnSurface(g) , g\nFROM ST_GeomFromText('MULTIPOLYGON(((0 0, 0 1, 1 1, 1 0, 0 0),(2 0, 2 1, 3 1, 3 0, 2 0)))') AS g;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/vVDQbPj.png\" alt=\"Coordinate selected between more than one polygon\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">SELECT ST_PointOnSurface(g), g\nFROM ST_GeomFromText('MULTIPOINT((0 0), (0 0.21), (0.5 0.6), (0.4 0.3))') AS g;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/Vdzud6f.png\" alt=\"Coordinate on a point\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"visualizing-progress\">Visualizing Progress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This tutorial uses&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/qgis.org\/en\/site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">QGIS<\/a>&nbsp;to load and view data, but you can also use geometry viewers of your favorite Postgres tool, like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pgadmin.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PgAdmin<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dbeaver.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DBeaver<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"take-your-tools-to-the-field\">Take Your Tools to the Field<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, it\u2019s time to apply your tools to real-world examples!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>A big <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/blog\/the-7-challenges-of-building-a-standardized-zip-code-database\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">challenge<\/a> here is to find accurate and reliable sources. This tutorial only uses open data; post companies in some countries still sell them under license.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"polygons\">Polygons<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For the first use case, let\u2019s use Postcode Tabulation Areas from the census bureau of the United States. Click&nbsp;<strong>Download<\/strong>&nbsp;for the Shapefile Postcode File, unzip it, and drop the&nbsp;<code>.shp<\/code>&nbsp;file into QGIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should look like this (I\u2019ve added an OpenStreetMap background to have some context):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/cXRDm2F.png\" alt=\"Viewing data with QGIS\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To insert the polygons into a Postgres database, use command line tools such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/postgis.docs.acugis.com\/en\/latest\/components\/shp2pgsql\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">shp2pgsql<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/gdal.org\/programs\/ogr2ogr.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ogr2ogr<\/a>, or QGIS (via the menu&nbsp;<strong>Processing &gt; Toolbox &gt; Database &gt; Export to PostgreSQL<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>As mentioned, this tutorial uses the QGIS processing, but in a production environment, you\u2019ll probably use command line tools that can be scripted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Name your table (this tutorial uses&nbsp;<code>us_zcta<\/code>&nbsp;for the table name). Next, you have to add a geometry column to store the centroid of each postcode. It\u2019s constrained to store only point geometry with the WGS84 coordinate system (4326).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>You can find more information on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/postgis.net\/docs\/using_postgis_dbmanagement.html#spatial_ref_sys\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">coordinate systems in PostGIS here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">ALTER TABLE us_zcta ADD COLUMN pos geometry(point, 4326);\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To compute the centroid, perform a transformation from the source spatial reference system; in this case, transform&nbsp;<code>4269<\/code>&nbsp;into the column we added, which is&nbsp;<code>4326<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">UPDATE us_zcta\nSET pos = ST_Transform(ST_PointOnSurface(geom), 4326);\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Add the column&nbsp;<code>us_zcta.pos<\/code>&nbsp;to QGIS to see the following result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/uifp9uO.png\" alt=\"Viewing data points on QGIS\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>To extract the latitude\/longitude, perform the following select:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">SELECT zcta5ce10 AS postcode, ST_Y(pos) AS latitude, ST_X(pos) AS longitude \nFROM us_zcta;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Note that the file already contained a latitude\/longitude column.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"points\">Points<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For the next example, let\u2019s go to Austria. Addresses with postcodes are available from the&nbsp;Bundesministerium f\u00fcr Arbeit und Wirtschaft.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bev.gv.at\/pls\/portal\/docs\/PAGE\/BEV_PORTAL_CONTENT_ALLGEMEIN\/0200_PRODUKTE\/UNENTGELTLICHE_PRODUKTE_DES_BEV\/Adresse-Relationale_Tabellen_Stichtagsdaten.zip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download the postcode file directly<\/a>&nbsp;and unzip it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The postcode contains a series of&nbsp;<code>.csv<\/code>&nbsp;files. There are no geometric formats, so you must load flat data first and then create the corresponding geometry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, create a table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">CREATE TABLE at_plz (\n    adrcd varchar,\n    gkz varchar,\n    okz varchar,\n    plz varchar,\n    skz varchar,\n    zaehlsprengel varchar,\n    hausnrtext varchar,\n    hausnrzahl1 varchar,\n    hausnrbuchstabe1 varchar,\n    hausnrverbindung1 varchar,\n    hausnrzahl2 varchar,\n    hausnrbuchstabe2 varchar,\n    hausnrbereich varchar,\n    hnr_adr_zusammen varchar,\n    gnradresse varchar,\n    hofname varchar,\n    rw double precision,\n    hw double precision,\n    epsg integer,\n    quelladresse varchar,\n    bestimmungsart varchar\n);\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Open a&nbsp;<code>psql<\/code>&nbsp;session and load the&nbsp;<code>ADRESSE.csv<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">\\copy at_plz from 'ADRESSE.csv' with delimiter ';' quote '\"' CSV HEADER;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Add a geometry column and create the point from the&nbsp;<code>.csv<\/code>. There is a little subtlety here\u2014the file uses three different coordinate systems, as indicated in the&nbsp;<code>epsg<\/code>&nbsp;column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">ALTER TABLE at_plz ADD COLUMN geom geometry(point, 4326);\nUPDATE at_plz SET geom = ST_Transform(st_SetSRID(st_makepoint(rw, hw), epsg), 4326);\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And here is the table in QGIS. The points are automatically colored according to the postcode to give you an idea of the zones they cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/FxfxB4H.png\" alt=\"Color-coded postcode points in QGIS\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you have to compute the centroids of each postcode. As there are many rows with the same postcode, group them beforehand and save the results in a new table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"EnlighterJSRAW\" data-enlighter-language=\"generic\" data-enlighter-theme=\"\" data-enlighter-highlight=\"\" data-enlighter-linenumbers=\"\" data-enlighter-lineoffset=\"\" data-enlighter-title=\"\" data-enlighter-group=\"\">CREATE TABLE at_plz_agg AS \nSELECT plz, ST_PointOnSurface(ST_Collect(geom))::geometry(point, 4326) pos\nFROM at_plz\nGROUP BY plz;\n<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>View again in QGIS, note the red dots, and you\u2019re done!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/beXB045.png\" alt=\"Data points viewed as red dots in QGIS\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"no-coordinates\">No Coordinates<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes\u2014or more often than sometimes\u2014a post company publishes postcodes without coordinates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In that situation, you have to cross the data with other sources to extrapolate the coordinates. Usually, countries have geographic or statistical institutes that maintain such references, or you can also use&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.openstreetmap.org\/#map=4\/38.01\/-95.84\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OpenStreetMap<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geonames.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GeoNames<\/a>&nbsp;in some circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, when using multiple sources, have caution! You\u2019ll face matching problems, erroneous data, normalization issues, multiple languages and scripts, and other complications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Addressing these issues may require many steps, such as exploring and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/address-validation-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cleaning the data<\/a> and removing outliers, to name the first few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While you\u2019ve learned how to convert multiple object types into coordinates, specifically postcodes and their data sources and particularities, your converter is still unfinished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To create an exhaustive worldwide dataset, you\u2019d need to centralize multiple countries in one table and keep the data up to date. There are about 180 countries using postcodes; some are updated yearly, some monthly, some weekly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t be discouraged! You can work with a provider to handle those details for you, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GeoPostcodes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We maintain a worldwide list of postcodes and related data, from coordinates to administrative divisions, including geocodes and time zones. We\u2019ve updated our data hundreds of times and built advanced processing pipelines to deal with the particularities of each country. For example, 99.6 percent of our postal codes have accurate coordinates. The remaining 0.4 percent inherit coordinates from the administrative divisions they belong to. We enjoy solving these problems, and we\u2019d be happy to save you the trouble! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.geopostcodes.com\/en-GB\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reach out to us<\/a> for further information, or you can directly <a href=\"https:\/\/public.geopostcodes.com\/portal-signup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">explore our data<\/a> from our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:60px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"additional-resources\">Additional Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Postal_code\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Postal code \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upu.int\/UPU\/media\/upu\/publications\/manualAddressingAddressingAndPostcodeManualEn.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Addressing and Postcode Manual<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Geographic_coordinate_system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geographic coordinate system \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Geographical_centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Geographical centre \u2013 Wikipedia<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-aa5641a4\" class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion exclusive has-light-content-bg is-style-default\">\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>How to get lat long from postcode?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Use geocoding services or tools like PostgreSQL with PostGIS to compute the centroid of the postcode&#8217;s geometry and obtain latitude and longitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>What are the 4 numbers next to postcode?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The four numbers next to a postcode are the POSTCODE+4 code, providing a more precise location within a delivery route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>How to get lat long from address?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Use geocoding services or tools like PostgreSQL with PostGIS to compute the centroid of the address&#8217;s geometry and obtain latitude and longitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>Can you geocode a postcode?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, you can geocode a postcode using tools like PostgreSQL with PostGIS to compute the centroid of the postcode&#8217;s geometry and obtain latitude and longitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>What are the challenges of working with postal code boundaries?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Postal code areas vary greatly in size and shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some might represent a single building, while others cover a broad area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll need to handle state, city, and polygon data carefully to ensure accurate mapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item\"><summary class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__title\"><div><strong>How many records will I need for a comprehensive postcode database?<\/strong><\/div><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-themeisle-blocks-accordion-item__content\">\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the country and the granularity of the postal system, the number of records required will vary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the USA, you\u2019ll need thousands of records covering postcodes, state, city, and their GPS coordinates to ensure full coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/details>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Create a postcode to coordinates converter to  pinpoint your customer locations. Coordinates will enable you to build maps, perform spatial analysis, and find geographical patterns efficiently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11281,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[36,43],"class_list":["post-3516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-processing","tag-postal-product-page","tag-supply-chain-page"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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