Re: Zip Code & Distance - barney - com.mysql.lists.mysql

7 messages in com.mysql.lists.mysqlRe: Zip Code & Distance

From	Sent On	Attachments
Jesse	29 Aug 2006 13:30
Greg Donald	29 Aug 2006 13:45
Chris W	29 Aug 2006 13:45
Philip Hallstrom	29 Aug 2006 13:48
Gmail User	29 Aug 2006 13:53
Jerry Schwartz	29 Aug 2006 13:55
barney	29 Aug 2006 14:17

Subject:	Re: Zip Code & Distance
From:	barney (bar...@grandecom.net)
Date:	08/29/2006 02:17:51 PM
List:	com.mysql.lists.mysql

Jesse,

Back around 1995-1996 I built a VB app with an Access database that would do
much of what you want - it was for shipping and terminal locations - then ported
it over to ASP & SQL Server a year or two later. I found several raw data
files, either CSV or TSV, which were pretty easily imported into most any
database. I believe I found the data files through the Census Bureau web site,
http://www.census.gov. Took some searching to find, but from the files I
finally found, the database listed ZIP code; Lat/Long of the rough center
(centroid?) of the ZIP area: city & state; population as of 1990 census, and a
few other then-relevant columns that I cannot now recall. Dunno if that data is
still available, but that's the first place I'd start looking. A warning,
though - the terminology on the site doesn't always - or often - reflect what
you find after you get where it pointed <grin />.

This is not necessarily SQL Specific, but it will impact my MySQL application.

Using the zip code, how can you determine what's in a (say) 50 mile radius. In other words, if I'm looking for schools within a 50 mile radius of my location (Zip Code 33881), How can I determine this by the zip code? I have seen lots of search engines that do this, but don't know how they determine the distance. I figured that I can use the first 4 digits as a match, then the first 3 digits which will be a little further away, but I don't know how accurate that would be. Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks, Jesse