MapQuest is probably the most well-known site for online maps, and it has been around longer than most. Over the years, MapQuest has continued to add more functionality and features to its already cutting-edge service. MapQuest’s online maps are appropriate for a multitude of uses including driving directions, travel research and even finding the best gas prices.
Online maps have revolutionized the way we explore our world and MapQuest offers the full gamut of features possible for a map site. Integrating actual photography, satellite imagery and digital street maps, MapQuest offers alternate views of many locations, including a unique 360° street-level view of major intersections near a mapped location. With the availability of international maps from across the world and the ability to interface with handheld devices, MapQuest is a great resource for travelers and winner of our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award.
The MapQuest website has a fairly simple layout, so even those unfamiliar with online maps can quickly find the proper links to search for maps. If you need a map of a U.S. area, simply use the search form at the top of the page. You must fill in either a city and state or a zip code to perform a search. If the site returns multiple results, you will need to select one location to display your map.
The various features of the MapQuest engine are listed along the top of the page, along with links to the Yellow Pages (if you don’t know the address of a business), driving directions (brings up “start” and “end” fields) and a “local” tab for information about your area. Along the top right of your map is a legend with various businesses and types of businesses you can choose to display on the map. For example, if you want to view all of the Hampton Inns on a given map, select that company’s logo from the legend list.
The MapQuest website is full of helpful features. Once you’ve called up a map, you can add markers, search for nearby businesses and points of interest and view traffic information. In many locations (U.S. only) you can launch a 360° street view and explore the area at street level. As mentioned above, the map legend also provides options for displaying various businesses on your map. If you don’t know the entire address of your location, you can map an entire city or country and the default map marker will appear in the center. From there, you can zoom and click on areas to choose a more specific marker location.
If you’re getting driving directions, your results will appear both in map form and in turn-by-turn list form. Beside each step in the directions list, you can click “avoid” to find an alternative to that portion of your route. You also have the option of changing your route. To do this, click on your route and a little white circle will appear. Click and drag the circle to change your route. Across the top of the map are check boxes for “traffic,” “360 view” and two options for map views, aerial and street. The “traffic” button gives color-coded traffic information about your entire route, including detailed traffic reports for areas indicated with a small stoplight icon. The “360 view” button displays the locations along your route where a street-level 360° view is available. Also, for each point on your map you can select “zoom to street” to automatically zoom in.
When you hover over a location on your map, a dialog box will pop up with various options, including “send to cell,” “send to OnStar” and “search area,” which includes the most common types of businesses people want to find in an area. The list provided in the “search area” box is not exhaustive. Once you click on one selection, you are taken to a secondary page that allows you to perform a keyword search of the area. So, for example, after clicking on “restaurants” you are taken to a page where you can search for “amusement parks,” or whatever else you want to find in the area. If you sign up for an account with MapQuest, you can save locations and recent searches and select them from the location drop-down menu on the “search area” page. You can also save your home, work and other custom locations to make it even easier to get local driving directions.
International Maps
If you want to access map areas outside the U.S., you need to select the country first. On the main “maps” page of the MapQuest website, select your country from the “International” menu just below the “What’s New” tab. Canada is included in the main map engine so you do not need to select it from the menu. While the international maps are complete and very useful for directions, they do not include traffic information or 360° views.
Also, you must have exact addresses in order to map a specific location; otherwise the map marker will appear in the center of your inputted location. This can be a bit cumbersome because once you map an entire country, the only option that pops up is for directions. Thus, if you request a map of France, the marker will appear in the middle of the country. If you then choose to add a city to your specifications, MapQuest will display driving directions from the center of the country to the specific city you entered. When you map a city, make sure to enter that information at the beginning. Alternately, you can navigate back to the main page and re-enter your information to prevent the site from automatically generating driving directions.
If you want to navigate from one point to another, for example, from a train station in Paris to the Eiffel Tower, you will need to obtain addresses for these locations first. There is no way to search for locations based on vicinity or name. The Yellow Pages link on the MapQuest site only works for U.S. addresses, so you may need to use other web resources to find the addresses you need. The draggable route feature does not work with international maps.
MapQuest is configured to offer easy transfers of your maps to OnStar and cell phones. Simply click on one of the send options and a menu will pop up with various choices. Using this menu, you can transfer a map to your GPS or OnStar device, send it to your cell phone or email it.
To upload to your OnStar system, you must have your account number because the transfer is handled wirelessly through the OnStar server. To send a map to a cell phone, simply enter the phone number and the map will be sent as a text message with a link. MapQuest also allows you to send maps and directions to iPhones and Blackberries, which may be equipped with navigation programs that preclude the need to navigate to the MapQuest site directly.
MapQuest is designed to be simple for all levels of users. The main focus of MapQuest is on providing driving directions for locations within the U.S., and for this purpose the site functions very well. Even if you don’t have exact addresses, the U.S. maps on this site are so complete that most users will be able to find their destination. While the 360º views are a neat addition to the site, the photographs are not updated very often and may be several years old, which is standard for online maps. Satellite images may also be out of date and are updated no more than once every 20 years. Still, when you imagine the task of taking aerial photos of the entire country, it’s understandable that this feat can only be accomplished every so often.
We found the international maps to be somewhat difficult to use on this site. First of all, the search fields are configured for addresses using the U.S. format. Secondly, the international maps are not as detailed and there are fewer options for displaying different features. Still, the fact that this site covers virtually the entire world is pretty impressive, and very few other sites have managed it.
MapQuest has an online user’s manual and a section of FAQs to help new users find the features they need. The MapQuest blog highlights new and unique features and describes how to use them. Many of the articles concern mobile device applications, as iPhone and Blackberry applications are now taking a larger role in the average person’s navigation. As the technology develops further, MapQuest plans to stay current and allow its service to be integrated into the latest technology. If you notice a problem with the website or need to contact an administrator, there is an online contact form.
MapQuest was our top choice for online maps because of its many features and its user-friendly interface. While increasingly complex technology may be intimidating to some, this site has integrated its upload features so well that they are easy to find but will not distract traditional users who simply want to look up and print out a map. MapQuest is most useful for getting local driving directions or planning trips within the U.S., and can even provide information about traffic and construction to help you choose the best route.
If you’re looking for something other than local driving directions, please see our entire lineup of the top 10 sites for online maps to find the site that fits your needs.
