Create a Service Area Map

ZIP Codes and other administrative boundaries are the most common way to define a service area. With MapBusinessOnline, you can import a list of ZIP Codes or select them directly on the map. You can also build service areas by ZIP3, city, county, or state, ensuring that your map aligns perfectly with the areas you need to report on.

This method is ideal when you must publish eligibility lists, keep franchisees and operations aligned, or generate clean handoffs to CRM and logistics systems. You can summarize data inside your chosen areas, color-code for analysis, and export exactly which ZIPs, counties, or states are included.

Radius mapping is the simplest way to show reach. You can draw single or multiple radii around one or many locations, setting distances like 5, 10, or 15 miles. This is the quickest way to communicate promises such as “we serve customers within 10 miles of our store” or to find which customers fall within 20 miles of a warehouse, clinic, or retail location.

Radius maps are perfect for store locator tools, local guarantees, and quick market analysis. They’re also ideal for conducting ring studies — comparing demographics, customer counts, or revenue potential within concentric distance bands around key sites. You can generate overlapping circles to visualize reach across multiple locations, and if you need accountability, convert those rings into formal territories.

Drive-time analysis reflects how long it actually takes to reach a location, not just how far away it is. With MapBusinessOnline, you can build single or multiple drive-time areas, and add multiple time bands such as 10, 20, or 30 minutes. Unlike simple distance rings, drive-time areas factor in traffic conditions by time of day and day of week - helping you create service promises that hold up in the real world.

This method is ideal for urban delivery zones, appointment scheduling, and service-level agreements where time is more important than mileage. It helps you compare reach across multiple sites, identify overlaps or gaps, and balance service responsibilities between locations. You can also switch to drive distance if your business communicates in miles rather than minutes.

Not every service area fits neatly into circles or ZIP Code lists. That’s where hand-drawn areas come in. You can sketch free-form polygons to capture irregular footprints shaped by rivers, highways, or private roads, or to highlight unique coverage zones such as telecom or utility service areas.

Hand-drawn areas are particularly useful for visual communication, proposals, and one-off exceptions that don’t need list precision. But if you do need a reportable list later, you can convert the same outline into ZIPs, counties, or other admin boundaries to ensure your map matches your data systems. This flexibility means you can start with a visual and end with a spreadsheet when business needs to evolve.