How to Use Geocoding in Excel? – 2 Examples

Geocoding is the process of converting addresses or place names into geographic coordinates. Geographic coordinates are latitude and longitude.

Download Practice Workbook

What Do You Mean by Geocoding in Excel?

Geocoding in Excel is the process of converting an address into geographic coordinates.

The Latitude is the distance of a location from the equator. It determines the position of a location in the north or south direction.

The Longitude is how far east or west a location is from the Prime Meridian. It indicates its position in the east-west direction.

Example 1 -How to Geocode in Excel with Geography Data Type

• There are city names in column B5:B14.
• Select the column and go to the Data tab > Data types > Geography.

• Enter the following formula in C5 to get the latitude of the city.

• To get the longitude, enter the following formula in D5.

• Drag down the Fill Handle to see the result in the rest of the cells.

Read More: Convert Degrees Decimal Minutes to Decimal Degrees

Example 2 – How to Use VBA for Geocoding in Excel

• Go to the Developer tab > Visual Basic.

• Choose Insert > Module.

• Select a reference in the tools panel. Go to Tools > References.

• The VBAProject dialog box opens > Select Microsoft XML, v3.0, and click OK.

• Enter the following code in the module :

Function Co_Ordinates(address As String) As String
    Application.Caller.Font.ColorIndex = xlNone
    Dim xDoc As New MSXML2.DOMDocument
    xDoc.async = False
    xDoc.Load ("https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search?format=xml&q=" + WorksheetFunction.EncodeURL(address))
    If xDoc.parseError.ErrorCode <> 0 Then
        Application.Caller.Font.ColorIndex = vbErr
        Co_Ordinates = xDoc.parseError.reason
    Else
        xDoc.SetProperty "SelectionLanguage", "XPath"
        Dim loc As MSXML2.IXMLDOMElement
        Set loc = xDoc.SelectSingleNode("/searchresults/place")
        If loc Is Nothing Then
            Application.Caller.Font.ColorIndex = vbErr
            NominatimGeocode = xDoc.XML
        Else
            Application.Caller.Font.ColorIndex = vbOK
            Co_Ordinates = loc.getAttribute("lat") & "," & loc.getAttribute("lon")
        End If
    End If
End Function

• Save the code and close the module.
• Enter the following formula in C5. The formula will return the latitude and longitude of the address in B5. Copy the formula using the flash fill.

Read More: Perform Reverse Geocoding

 Things to Remember

• Save your Excel file as XLSM if there are any VBA codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are there any functions available in Excel that geocode automatically?

Ans: There isn’t any formula available for geocoding purposes.

2. How do I geocode from an address in Excel?

Ans: If you have a city name, you can use Excel’s Geocode feature to find latitude and longitude. If you have a street address, it is better to use VBA.

3. How to add latitude and longitude in Excel?

Ans: You can manually add the latitude and longitude of different places in Excel or use the Geocode feature to extract latitude and longitude from a city address.

Geocoding in Excel: Knowledge Hub

<< Go Back to Learn Excel