Open Knowledge

Location datasets 100% open

United Kingdom


What data is expected?

A database of postcodes/zipcodes and the corresponding spatial locations in terms of a latitude and a longitude (or similar coordinates in an openly published national coordinate system). If a postcode/zipcode system does not exist in the country, please submit a dataset of administrative borders. Data submitted in this category must satisfy the following minimum conditions

  • Zipcodes
  • Address
  • Coordinate (latitude longitude)
  • national level
  • updated once a year

  • Administrative boundaries

  • Boarders poligone
  • name of poligone (city, neighborhood)
  • national level
  • updated once a year

What data is available

  •   Openly licensed? Yes(Here)
  •   Is the data available for free? Yes
  •   Is the data machine readable? Yes (CSV)
  •   Available in bulk? Yes
  •   Is the data provided on a timely and up to date basis? Yes
  •   Publicly available? Yes published by Office for National Statistics)
  •   Is data in digital form? Yes
  •   Is the data available online? Yes (Here)
  •   Does the data exist? Yes

Details

Update: While you need to fill out a form in order to get access to the Ordnance Survey's Code-Point Open dataset, the Office for National Statistics publishes postcode data under an open licence publicly on the web.

Revision: you need to fill a form to get access to this dataset. Then you get a link by email.

Open postcode data which meets the specification here (postcodes and corresponding geospatial locations - lat/long or equivalent) is available via the Ordnance Survey's Code-Point Open dataset, which contains the 1.4m GB post codes each with a UK national grid reference of the postcode's location in eastings and northings (convertable to lat/long by published formulae) and with the administrative area (country/county/district/ward, plus National Health Service Region and Authority) in which it is located. This is updated quarterly. Similar Postcode data for the devolved province of Northern Ireland is not available as Open Data. The main UK address database (~24m individual addresses) is confusing called the Postcode Address File. This is a subscription-only database privately owned by the Royal Mail. The Open Data User Group have been pressing for its release too - see http://data.gov.uk/blog/dont-sell-our-postcodes-odug-on-why-we-should-have-open-addressing-in-the-uk The Postcode data as of August 2014 is available here: https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/Docs/PostCodes/ONSPD_AUG_2014_csv.zip The geographic coverage is United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland). More detailed information on the dataset can be found here: https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/geoportal/catalog/search/resource/details.page?uuid={473A5770-FB1B-4C1A-AEEC-5DC056E5EC7F}

Comment 2015: Didn't change from 2014. Link to products is here - http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/geography/products/postcode-directories/index.html

Reviewer comments

OK!

Contributors

Reviewers

  • Codrina Maria Ilie

Submitters

  • Mor Rubinstein