About the API

    The API helps Web developers publish data from Mapping L.A. on other websites.

    The methods here are offered as an experiment. If there are any changes we can make to better provide the data we publish, please contact Ben Welsh with ideas, suggestions or criticisms.

    API methods

    Boundaries

    The Times’ regional and neighborhood boundaries are available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license. That means you can share and remix them for non-commercial work as long as you credit The Times and release your creations under the same terms.

    All region and neighborhood pages include links to boundaries in WGS 84 projection in KML, KMZ and GeoJSON format. The files are easily portable to other online mapping systems. For instance, here is a Google Map of The Times' definition of Hollywood.

    getList

    Returns a list of all neighborhoods or regions. 

    Scheme: /mapping-la/api/v1/<area_type>/getList.<format>/

    Area types: neighborhood | region

    Formats: xml | json

    Example: /mapping-la/api/v1/neighborhood/getList.json/

    getBySlug

    Returns the boundaries of a single neighborhood or region specified by its unique slug. 

    Scheme: /mapping-la/api/v1/<area_type>/getBySlug.<format>/?slug=<slug>

    Area types: neighborhood | region

    Formats: kml | kmz | json

    Slugs: Call getList for a complete set

    Example: /mapping-la/api/v1/neighborhood/getBySlug.json/?slug=downtown

    getByLatLng

    Returns the boundaries of the neighborhood or region that contains a set of latitude and longitude coordinates. 

    Scheme: /mapping-la/api/v1/<area_type>/getByLatLng.<format>/?lat=<latitude>&lng=<longitude>

    Area types: neighborhood | region

    Formats: kml | kmz | json

    Latitude & Longitude: Decimal degrees in WGS 84 projection

    Example: /mapping-la/api/v1/region/getByLatLng.kml/?lat=34.053&lng=-118.245

    Wrappers

    Python

    A Python wrapper is available on Github at latimes-mappingla-api.


    Mapping L.A.

    is the Los Angeles Times’ resource for crime, neighborhoods, demographics and schools in Los Angeles County.
    About this project »
    Advertisement
    Find Your Neighborhood

    Search by address

    Select a neighborhood

    Select a region

    Select a ranking

    The complete list »
    About the Data Desk

    This page was created by the Data Desk, a team of reporters and Web developers at The Times.