Measuring the Miles: Instant Proximity Insights with GeoDistance

Overview

GeoDistance calculates the straight‑line (as‑the‑crow‑flies) distance between two U.S. ZIP Codes by using each ZIP Code’s centroid. You can request results in miles, kilometers, or nautical miles—all via a single HTTP GET.

Key Business Use Cases

1. Logistics Planning & Route Optimization

Feed distance metrics into your routing engine or WMS to plan the most efficient delivery paths and reduce fuel costs.

2. Market Analysis & Catchment Areas

Define customer catchment radii around stores or service centers to inform expansion decisions and targeted marketing.

3. Dynamic Pricing & Service Eligibility

Adjust shipping fees, delivery schedules, or service availability based on customer proximity to your facilities.

Developer Spotlight: C# Code Snippet

// GeoDistance C# example
using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text.Json;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace CDXGeoDataSample
{
    class Program
    {
        static async Task Main(string[] args)
        {
            var apiKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("CDX_GEO_KEY");
            var zip1   = "07869";
            var zip2   = "07840";
            var format = "json";
            var path   = $"/api/geodistance?key={apiKey}&zipcode1={zip1}&zipcode2={zip2}&format={format}";

            using var client = new HttpClient { BaseAddress = new Uri("https://geodata.cdxtech.com") };
            var resp         = await client.GetAsync(path);
            resp.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

            var payload = await resp.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
            var root    = JsonDocument.Parse(payload).RootElement;

            var result  = root.GetProperty("results")[0];
            var dist    = result.GetProperty("distance").GetDouble();
            var unit    = result.GetProperty("distanceUnit").GetString();

            Console.WriteLine($"Distance between {zip1} and {zip2}: {dist} {unit}");
        }
    }
}
  

Sample Response

{
  "service": "GeoDistance",
  "results": [{
    "coordinates": [
      { "zipCode": "07869", "latitude": 40.842115, "longitude": -74.58229 },
      { "zipCode": "07840", "latitude": 40.864954, "longitude": -74.822685 }
    ],
    "distance": 12.6614,
    "distanceUnit": "miles"
  }],
  "tokenCharge": 1
}
  

Getting Started

1. Sign up for a free API key (100 tokens) at the CDXGeoData portal.
2. Invoke GET /api/geodistance with key, zipcode1, zipcode2, and format.
3. Parse the returned distance and distanceUnit to integrate proximity insights into your app.