How to Export a Dataset of Cities Using MapBusinessOnline

Sometimes we take for granted an essential business mapping feature. A recent Chat request made this perfectly clear:

How do I export a list of cities within a circle or a polygon map object?

MapBusinessOnline provides online business mapping tools that make this data export operation easy to achieve. In fact, there are several easy ways to export a list of cities. MapBusinessOnline is an excellent tool for City Maps.

Export All Cities & Towns

The easiest way to export the complete list of cities is to add the City Limits layer to the map and export the list from the Data Window:

1. Under Adding to Map on the Master Toolbar, click Map Layers.
2. In the displayed list, select City Limits and then click Add to Map. (The Cities point layer is also available in Map Layers, but as a superficial point layer it is not helpful for data work.)
3. You’ll now see the City Limits geographies displayed on the map. Open the Data Window on the far right of the Master Toolbar.
4. In the Data Window selection data list dropdown in the upper left corner, drop down to the City Limits layer.
5. With City Limits displayed in the Data Window, click the Export Button, the last button on the right on the Data Window toolbar.
6. Save the file with a name and in a place you’ll remember. The data will open as a CSV file. CSV files can be opened from within Excel and saved as .XLS files.

As always with MapBusinessOnline map layers, you can add demographic data or imported data columns to the analysis view in the Data Window before export. Simply click the Choose Columns button in the lower right corner of the Data Window.

Read more about the Powerful Choose Columns button here.

Querying Cities with Circle or Polygon Map Objects in MapBusinessOnline

Conduct a Spatial Query & Export Results

‘Conduct a Spatial Query’ sounds intimidating, but it’s pretty easy. It’s nothing like holding a séance to speak with Uncle Bob from beyond the grave. Nothing like that.

A spatial query is simply a search for data within a defined space or map object.  Use the Search Tools to determine the Circle, Polygon, or Drive Time Polygon and then search the area for data.

1. Create a map object using the MapBusinessOnline Search Tools’ right side option, towards the middle of the Master Toolbar. Click the dropdown and choose the Circle or Radius search option. Read more about Radius Searches here.
2. With your search tool selected, drop a point and drag your cursor on the map to establish a circle location and size.
3. Select the map layer (or data layer) to search for records.
4. Now the query result will display in the Data Window. Name the query result.
5. Export using the Export Button on the far right of the Data Window Toolbar. The data will open as a CSV file.

Or Just Query & Export the ZIP Code Map Layer

Another option, which can come in handy when working with ZIP codes, is to export a ZIP code map layer file or the map object’s ZIP code query results.

MapBusinessOnline includes a column called Place names in the ZIP code map layer. Place names are, simply put, a city or a town. If you export a list of ZIP codes from the data window, the Place names column comes along for the ride.

Working with ZIP code map layers in this fashion could be a convenient way to conduct several map-based operations:

• Creating Sales Territories and territory planning based on ZIP Code Demographic Analysis.  Use Choose Columns in the lower right to add demographic data columns to your analysis.
• Market Analysis – Again, use the Choose Columns button to add demographic data, business listings data, or imported data to your Data Window analysis views. Cities are particularly helpful for uncovering new markets in other sections of the nation.
• Expansion Planning – Both ZIP code and City demographic analysis can expose new markets for expanding businesses.
• Searching for Business Listings by City boundaries for competing businesses and sales estimates.

The Bottom Line: city data is helpful. MapBusinessOnline makes it easy for you to query, use, and export the City Map Layer data in various ways.

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Find out why over 25,000 business users log into www.MapBusinessOnline.com for their business mapping software and advanced sales territory mapping solution. The best replacement for Microsoft MapPoint happens to be the most affordable.

To access MapBusinessOnline, please register and then download the Map App from the website – https://www.mapbusinessonline.com/App-Download.aspx.

After installing the Map App, the MapBusinessOnline launch button will be in the Windows’ Start Menu or Mac Application folder. Find the MapBusinessOnline folder in the Start Menu scrollbar. Click the folder’s dropdown arrow and choose the MapBusinessOnline option.

The Map App includes the Map Viewer app for free non-subscriber map sharing.

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Contact: Geoffrey Ives geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson jhenderson@spatialteq.com