Geographical: Distances, XY, routes

Distances between addresses

By entering two postcodes you are able to determine the distance between two locations very accurately. It is possible to find out the distance between postcodes that consist of four or six positions.

The distances can be calculated in different ways:

• straight-line distance in metres
• shortest travelling distance in metres/time
• fastest travelling distance in metres/time

Geo-coding

The precise geo-code is available for every location in The Netherlands. The following levels are possible:

• parcel level (postcode + house number)
• postcode level (6-position postcode)
• district level (4-position postcode)

International geographical functions

Besides complete coverage of The Netherlands, we offer geographical webservices for most European countries.

• Travelling distances and times within the EU
• XY coordinates to address
• address to XY coordinates

Using lat/long (XY)

The Lat/Long functions of Webservices.nl feed back latitude/longitude coordinates. The coordinates consist of a latitude that shows the angle relative to the area in which the equator is located and a longitude that shows the angle with the zero meridian (Greenwich).

Webservices.nl uses decimal degrees, which for latitude varies from -90.0 to 90.0 degrees and for longitude from -180.0 to 180 degrees.

In contrast with RD coordinates, the Lat/Long coordinates can be used usable for addresses worldwide. They are also used for GPS, for example.

Example of calculation of Lat/Long coordinates

Routes between locations

Besides the exact travelling distance in metres it is possible to receive a detailed route description. It is provided in XML and includes numerous XY coordinates.

This service is provided for all European countries.

Geographical representation

For every postcode or address you can retrieve a map with information about the parcel of land at street, neighbourhood and municipality level.

The following functions are available:

• map with postcode representation at street, neighbourhood and municipality level
• indication of locations by means of dots on a map
• map showing the route (e.g. Google Maps)

Using RD coordinates

The RD functions of Webservices.nl give you coordinates in accordance with the Dutch National Triangulation System. These are the coordinates used nationally in The Netherlands as a basis for geographical indications and databases. The value of the x coordinate runs from west to east, while the value of the y coordinate runs from south to north. Both values are expressed in metres and the zero point has been chosen in such a way that the y coordinate is always greater than the x coordinate.

Example of calculation of RD coordinates