How To Find A Physical Address By Looking At An Aerial Map

Aerial maps offer a bird's-eye view of an area and they're often produced using satellite photos. These maps can be helpful by showing a broad view and the topography of an area. Aerial photos with street names added are easily found through search engines and on real-estate websites. But if you have a historical photo or an aerial picture provided to you without text, you can still use a few navigational techniques to find a physical address.

Step 1

Examine your aerial map and orient it so that it is facing north and so that you can identify landmarks. It helps if you have some working knowledge of the area as well. If you don't, though, try to line up an aerial photograph with a map of your area so that you can get a general feel for the area.

Step 2

Determine what block the address you're looking for is on by finding the beginning of the street and counting the blocks. Address numbers generally start at a 0 block and move up 100 for each block from there. Numbered streets, such as 12th Street, generally are even numbers for one direction, such as north-south, and odd numbers for east-west streets, but the rule varies by location.

Step 3

Find out what side of the street the address is on. Odd numbers are often on the north side of the street and even numbers on the other side, but the rule can vary by location. Once you've determined the correct side of the street, count the lots until you find the the address you're looking for on the aerial map.