Location Accuracy Guide
IP location is useful but not precise. Learn what websites can and cannot determine about your physical location.
IP geolocation is typically accurate to the city level (within 25-50 miles) but cannot determine your exact street address. Accuracy depends on your ISP, whether you use a VPN, and the geolocation database used. Mobile and satellite connections are often less accurate.
IP geolocation is 95-99% accurate at the country level and 55-80% accurate at the city level. It cannot determine your street address. Accuracy varies by ISP, connection type, and the geolocation database used.
Each bar is drawn in proportion to the typical error radius of that method — including the one used on the city currently attached to your IP address.
IP geolocation works by mapping IP address ranges to geographic locations. Companies like MaxMind, IP2Location, and DB-IP maintain databases that associate IP blocks with locations.
ISP registration data: Where the IP block is officially registered
User-submitted data: Aggregated anonymous location data from apps
Latency measurements: Network delay patterns that correlate with distance
BGP routing data: Information about how internet traffic flows
Connection type: Fixed broadband is more accurate than mobile data or satellite
ISP practices: Some ISPs assign IPs from regional pools that span large areas
VPN/proxy usage: Shows the server's location, not yours
Urban vs rural: Cities have denser, more accurate IP mapping
Database freshness: IP assignments change; outdated databases produce wrong results
Country: Accuracy varies by country based on internet infrastructure
Test your own IP location accuracy with our location detection tool and compare it to your actual location. Also check your IP address to see what ISP and region it reports.
While IP geolocation cannot pinpoint your house, it is still a privacy concern. Knowing your city, ISP, and connection type reveals more than many people realize, especially when combined with other data points.
To protect your IP location, use a VPN, which replaces your IP with the VPN server's IP. For more tips, read our guide on how to protect your privacy online .
IP geolocation is typically accurate to the city level (within 25-50 miles) for about 55-80% of lookups. Country-level accuracy is 95-99%. It cannot determine your street address, building, or apartment. Accuracy depends on the ISP, database quality, and whether you use a VPN.
Your IP may show a nearby city rather than your actual city because ISPs assign IP addresses from regional pools. The geolocation database may map your IP block to the nearest major city. Mobile connections often show the city where your carrier's gateway is located, not your physical location.
Law enforcement can request your exact address from your ISP with a valid legal order (warrant or subpoena). The ISP maintains records mapping IP addresses to customer accounts. This is different from IP geolocation databases, which only provide approximate locations.
Yes. A VPN replaces your real IP address with the VPN server's IP address. Your apparent location changes to wherever the VPN server is located. If you connect to a server in London, websites will think you are in London regardless of your actual location.