How to use it
- Press Find me and allow the browser to use your location.
- Read the state, province or region in the first card. US states come with the outline, the postal code, the FIPS code and the number of counties.
- Type a place, click the map, or drag the pin to check somewhere else.
5 practical uses
- Know which state's traffic laws, speed limits and sales tax apply where you are.
- Confirm the state line on a road trip or a hike that crosses one.
- Find the state a delivery address or a job site is in from its coordinates.
- Get the state FIPS code for a census or a data form.
- Check the province or region abroad for a visa, a permit or a weather warning.
The maths behind it
The point is tested against the state outlines with a point-in-polygon test: a ray from the point crosses the outline an odd number of times when the point is inside. A bounding-box check rules out most states first. Outside the US the geocoder does the same on OpenStreetMap boundaries.
How accurate it is
A phone with GPS is accurate to a few metres outdoors; a laptop on Wi-Fi is often within a hundred metres, and a wired desktop may be placed at the nearest exchange, a town away. Near a boundary, drag the pin to check. US state outlines come from the Census Bureau (1:10m); other regions are asked of the geocoder, which knows most of them.
Privacy
The page never stores your position. The link in the address bar carries the coordinates so you can share or bookmark the result; clear it if you would rather not.