Meeting Centre of Gravity for UK Postcodes
Use this tool to find the best place to hold a meeting for its attendees by inputting their UK postcodes. The COG tool will then work out the centre of gravity for the meeting. This will be represented by a marker on the map.
Meeting COG Map
Input Data
Input a list of UK postcodes. For example M60 7RA or EC3N 4DR
Postcodes must be in uppercase. Each postcode consists of two parts. The first part (outward postcode, or outcode) is separated by a single space from the second part (the inward postcode, or in-code).
Further Information
Once you input the postcodes, this tool will work out where the best place is to hold the meeting. This will be a point on the map where, if all attendees could travel in a straight line to get to, would give the least combined travel time for them to meet up. You can enter full UK postcodes (incode & outcode) for more accuracy.
Yes, of course people can't travel in straight lines and they can't hold the meeting in a field, in the sea or in some stranger's house if that is what the tool suggests. You are then expected to use that as a base from which to find a meeting venue close by, be it a pub, park or hotel, etc.
Let us know if this tool comes in useful to you by posting a comment below. It will be interesting to find out how it is used.
Credits
Credit must be paid to DWS for a comment posted on the about page on 16th May 2008 suggesting this tool. Thanks.
Future Ideas
- Add optional weighting to postcodes
Version History
- 29th September 2021 : Version 2.4 - Updates to input validation
- 11th May 2020 : Version 2.3 - Fixed bug when reporting a postcode not found
- 3rd February 2019 : Version 2.2 - Center marker now shows postcode of that location
- 26th January 2018 : Version 2.1 - Changed to Leaflet Maps
- 13th November 2013 : Version 2 - Implement Google Maps API V3
- 5th June 2008 : Version 1 - Get it up and running (rather than watch the start of Big Brother)
Comments
Hi John, the algorithm is to plot all points then find the average geospatial location from them all.
Fantastic tool, thank you. Is this the 'lowest total distance from all the points', or a least-squares algorithm or similar?
Would love to be able to add a weighting (optional field next to postcode) if blank, assumes equal weighting of 1. Higher weighting will pull the CoG nearer.
I was hoping that the result wouldn't be Birmingham... unfortunately it was. However, I feel better about going to Birmingham knowing it's a decision based on data, not just habit.
This is exactly what I was looking for to make an arbitrary decision for a University Re-union based on where folk now live rather than the alma mater. It took me a little while to realise that the result, a postcode, is visible when you hover the mouse over the cross on the map - not obvious. Otherwise excellent.
This is quite literally exactly what I was looking for, not often that happens free of charge so perfectly, thanks a lot!
Amazing resource! Thanks
I'm struggling to find a tool that can help find a meeting point for 3 start points with the same/similar travel time. Would be great if anyone has seen anything like this? Thanks
Wonderful tool ! Needed to know optimal spot for patriarch's 95th party from four locations around uk !! I would propose your app could use the output of a route-finder app as a further refinement to avoid straight line travel through centre of large city !
Perfect. Found a pub 30 miles away from 5 of us. Smack in the middle.
Really helpful. When I initially put a space in middle of postcode, said wrong format but only worked without space. Thsnks
E1 postcodes should now work
E1 postcodes in London don't work, presumably because they are 2-digit outcodes? At least mine doesn't anyway.
Great tool - thanks!
I too could not get this to work. I entered a postcode incorrectly at first. Then I cleared it and entered the correct code v carefully but the thing kept saying that the first postcode I entered incorrectly could not not be found. No way to clear after an incorrect entry. Useless!!!
Used this to find some fair meeting points between 6 friends- very useful, thank you!
Matt, these are found when we test. Can you try again?
Post does not recognized: IP29 4DH YO26 7QG
Loved this, thank you :)
All 3 are found when tested : https://ibb.co/RvsDrM6
Showing the most recent 20 of 102 comments. See all comments.