Forums

The forums ran from 2008-2020 and are now closed and viewable here as an archive.

Home Forums Back End Zip Code Radius PHP Scripts

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #28585

    I’m looking for a very simple (free) script for doing a zip code radius search.

    A user will input a zip code into a form field. I then need to check that provided zip code with a mysql database table of programs (which will have zipcode or lat/long, whatever needed, and only display those within 45 miles of the provided zip code.

    So essentially I just need help generating a mysql query and doing the math. I’ve been referenced to the greatest circle distance method but I’m having trouble translating it.

    Anybody have any good resources on this?

    #73539
    Democritus
    Member

    Because zip codes are on the globe, which is a sphere (i’m told), a circle distance won’t quite do it. Your problem is in 2 parts, and while I won’t just give you the code, I can tell you how to solve it.

    First, you need to convert the zip codes to latitudes and longitudes. I suggest using the google geocoder. Once you have all of your codes in latitudes and longitudes, when a user enters their zip code, you need to convert that to a latitude and longitude as well.

    Then, to find the distance, you need to use a formula called the haversine formula. It can take 2 latitudes and longitudes and give you the distance between them. So your sql should just get all zips where that distance is less than whatever you want.

    Good luck,
    -D

    #73544

    Thanks. I have found a script online that’s helped me solved this.

    Thanks for the explanation.

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • The forum ‘Back End’ is closed to new topics and replies.