Who Uses OLC
Plus Codes were created by Google as an open standard (ISO/IEC DIS 30170). They are built into Google Maps and shown on the information panel of most locations. They are particularly useful in regions without formal street addresses — emergency services, aid organizations, and delivery companies use them in Africa, Southeast Asia, and developing regions.
- Emergency services in rural areas
- Delivery services without addresses
- Humanitarian aid workers
- Google Maps users
How to Read OLC Coordinates
- Format: 8 characters + "+" + 2–6 more characters.
- First 4 characters: narrow down to a ~100 km × 100 km area.
- Characters 5–8: narrow to ~2.75 km × 1.375 km.
- Characters after "+": further refinement to ~14 m × 9 m.
- Short codes (like "CWC V+GF") omit the first 4 chars and require a reference city.
Converting OLC by Hand
Decode a Plus Code by reading each character pair as a (latitude, longitude) index at decreasing resolutions: 20°, 1°, 0.05°, 0.0025°. Characters after the "+" encode a 5×4 grid subdivision. This is fully implemented in the converter above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Plus Code the same as a Google Maps code?
Yes. The codes you see at the top of Google Maps place information panels are Plus Codes. Google uses them as a universal location reference, especially for places without street addresses.
Can I use Plus Codes offline?
Yes — that is the main design goal. Since Plus Codes are pure math with no server lookup, any app can decode them without internet access. They are also easy to write on paper or say out loud.
What is a "short code"?
Short codes omit the first 4 characters, making them shorter and more memorable. However, they require a locality context to decode. "CWC V+GF" only makes sense when you know it refers to "Paris, France."
Who invented Plus Codes?
Plus Codes (Open Location Code) were designed by Philipp Engel and Remo Kunz at Google Zürich in 2014, and released as an open standard in 2015. The algorithm is published at github.com/google/open-location-code.