Places, also known as points of interest (POIs), are geographic locations represented by a single latitude-longitude point. A place may be a business, a government building such as a post office, a landmark like the Eiffel Tower, or a natural feature such as a lake or a trail head.
Esri creates ArcGIS Places datasets sourced from data supplied by a number of data sources. ArcGIS Places datasets provide authoritative information about locations. ArcGIS Places datasets can be used as a stand-alone foundation for visualization for analysis or can be used in the context of other types of data, such as Esri Demographics data and imagery data.
Example use cases
Knowing about the places that exist in your area of interest can inform geographic analysis and decision making, helping you answer questions such as the following:
- Where is the nearest pharmacy that is currently open?
- How far is a competitor's store from my business?
- What is the demographic profile of this census tract?
- Where are the most popular Italian restaurants near my current location?
- Is this place located in a flood zone or near other natural hazards?
Data sources
ArcGIS Places data is sourced from a variety of trusted suppliers of POI data, including Data Axle, DENUE through INEGI, Esri India, Foursquare, NOSTRA through Esri Thailand, and SafeGraph. The type of attributes, level of detail available, and update frequency varies by supplier. The overall regional coverage provided by ArcGIS Places datasets is nearly global.
To learn more about recent changes and updates to ArcGIS Places data, visit What's new in ArcGIS Places.
Access methods
The use of ArcGIS Places data requires that you access it using licensed ArcGIS products through one of three available access methods:
- ArcGIS Location Platform
- ArcGIS Online
- Locally installed data
Esri products
ArcGIS Places datasets are available in the following Esri products:
ArcGIS Pro with a Business Analyst license
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
Annual | ||
3 times per year | ||
3 times per year | ||
Annual | ||
170+ regions | 3 times per year | |
Annual | ||
NOSTRA through Esri Thailand | Annual |
Access method |
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Documentation |
ArcGIS Pro
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
3 times per year | ||
3 times per year | ||
Annual | ||
170+ regions | 3 times per year | |
Annual | ||
NOSTRA through Esri Thailand | Annual |
Access method | ArcGIS Online |
Documentation |
ArcGIS Business Analyst Enterprise
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
Annual | ||
Annual |
Access method | Locally installed data with dataset bundle |
Documentation |
ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App (BA)
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
3 times per year | ||
3 times per year | ||
Annual | ||
170+ regions | 3 times per year | |
Annual | ||
NOSTRA through Esri Thailand | Annual |
Access method | ArcGIS Online |
Documentation |
ArcGIS Business Analyst Mobile App (BA)
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
3 times per year | ||
3 times per year | ||
Annual | ||
170+ regions | 3 times per year | |
Annual | ||
NOSTRA through Esri Thailand | Annual |
Access method | ArcGIS Online |
Documentation | Run Reports workflow (Infographic templates describing nearby POI) |
ArcGIS Experience Builder
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
3 times per year | ||
3 times per year | ||
Annual | ||
170+ regions | 3 times per year | |
Annual | ||
NOSTRA through Esri Thailand | Annual |
Access method |
|
Documentation | Business Analyst widget (infographic templates describing nearby POIs) |
ArcGIS Places service
| Regional coverage | Data source | Update frequency |
|---|---|---|
170+ regions | 3 times per year |
Access method | ArcGIS Location Platform |
Documentation |
¹ Data Axle provides only Business Locations
Attribute comparison
The following table compares the attributes available from all ArcGIS Places data sources. Not all attributes include the same level of detail for the same number of data points.
| Attribute | Description | Data Axle | DENUE | Esri India | Foursquare | NOSTRA | SafeGraph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place, company, or business name | The name by which a place or business is known. |
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Brand | Any brand name affiliated with the business, when applicable. |
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Category | Industry-related category code. |
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NAICS code | North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. |
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SIC code | Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. |
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Detailed location information | The address, town, or geographic details associated with a place or business. Some data providers include more granular address information. See individual data provider topics for details. |
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Landmark | Known landmarks near the place or business. |
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Location | Geographic coordinates for the place or alternative access points in WGS84 decimal degree format. |
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DMA | Designated Market Area (DMA), defined by Nielsen Media Research, used for marketing purposes. U.S. only. |
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Block ID | Geostatistical data, such as the AGEB ID, Block ID, a U.S. Census Block geoid value, or Uber H3 global hexagon identifier. |
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Chain, organization, or franchise | Any standardized chain (franchised business), organization, or direct headquarters affiliated with a place or business. |
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Confidence | Confidence that a place is open or in operation. |
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Hours | The hours of operation or weekly schedule information. |
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Contact | Phone, website, fax, email, or social media account information. |
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User feedback | Ratings, descriptions, price, and other user-provided content. |
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Professional specialty | Specialties within a line of business. |
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Square footage | The estimated square footage of the business. |
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Employee count | Number of employees. |
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Sales volume / assets | Estimated sales or assets. |
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Permanency | Establishes whether the place is fixed or semi-fixed, such as a street vendor. |
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