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Who uses OpenStreetMap?

OpenStreetMap is used by people all over the world – individuals, volunteers, companies, nonprofits, governments, organizations and more. There are many ways to use OpenStreetMap: as a basemap, using the OSM data for routing or navigation, using OSM data for GIS analysis, such as planning or logistics for humanitarian groups, utilities, governments and more.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of some big organizations that use OpenStreetMap, to give you an idea of the breadth of OSM consumers. There are also many medium and small businesses, individuals and personal projects that use OpenStreetMap. And you can too!

Major Sites#

Social Sites#

  • Foursquare
  • Pinterest
  • Pokemon Go
  • Snapchat

Transport#

Geodata Software and Services#

  • CARTO
  • Digital Globe
  • ESRI
  • Garmin
  • Mapbox
  • Telenav

Government#

  • Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency)
  • City of Belem, Brazil
  • City of Jakarta, Indonesia Government
  • French Gendarmerie and Police
  • Government of Brazil, Environment Ministry and Planning Ministry
  • Government of France National Address Database
  • Government of Italy: President's Office
  • Government of Lesotho
  • Government of Lithuania
  • Government of Norway public transit agency
  • Government of Uruguay Ministry of Social Development
  • Indonesian Disaster Management Agency
  • Italian Carabinieri
  • Krakow, Poland transit agency
  • Malaga, Spain transit agency
  • New York City, USA Government
  • Police Scotland
  • Portland, Oregon, USA transit agency
  • Rennes, France transit agency
  • Statistics Canada
  • Uganda Bureau of Statistics
  • US National Park Service
  • US State Department, USAID, Peace Corps

Humanitarian Sector#

  • CartONG
  • Clinton Health Access Initiative
  • Concern Worldwide
  • Gates Foundation
  • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), and National Societies (e.g. American Red Cross, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, British Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross, and more)
  • MapAction
  • Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders
  • Pan American Development Foundation
  • United Nations
  • World Bank
  • See missingmaps.org for more humanitarian OSM partners

Education#

  • Cambridge University
  • George Washington University
  • Heidelberg University
  • Texas Tech University
  • University of Maryland
  • YouthMappers, an international network of student OpenStreetMap clubs

News and Media#

  • BBC
  • Financial Times
  • The Guardian
  • National Geographic
  • New York Times
  • US News & World Report
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post
  • Numerous films and TV shows such as Blade Runner 2049

Plus many many, large, medium and small businesses and organizations around the world!

To see more examples of uses of OpenStreetMap, see our weekly featured images.