Everyday questions
What can I map?
Ask a question in plain English and get a live map that shows its source. You don’t need to know anything about maps or data. Each example below opens with the question filled in — you choose whether to run it.
Safety and natural hazards
Fires, earthquakes, storms and the air you breathe — checked against live public data.
Is there a wildfire near me?
Fire perimeters, official incidents and recent satellite fire detections around the town you name — including fires just outside its boundary, which is where a town’s fires usually are.
Always-on page: BC wildfires right now · US wildfires right now
Was that an earthquake?
Every recent earthquake, sized by magnitude, with the tectonic plate boundaries that explain where they happen.
Try: “Earthquakes in the last 24 hours”
Always-on page: Earthquakes in the last 24 hours
Is rain on the way?
Live precipitation radar over the place you name, so you can see what is coming before it arrives.
Is the air safe to breathe today?
The air quality index as a smooth colour field across the city, not a scatter of dots.
Where is the wildfire smoke coming from?
Smoke plumes, the fires producing them, and the last 24 hours of satellite imagery so you can watch the smoke move.
Do I need sunscreen today?
Today’s UV index on the World Health Organization scale, from low to extreme.
Try: “UV index in Sydney”
Are there weather warnings where I live?
Active official weather alerts — floods, storms, heat — drawn over the areas they cover. Available for the United States.
Is that volcano active?
Each volcano with its current alert level, plus the past week’s earthquakes nearby.
Finding places
Hospitals, pharmacies, chargers and libraries in any city — or your own list of addresses.
Where is the nearest hospital?
Hospitals across the city you name, from open map data, each with its name and details when you tap it.
Try: “Hospitals in Paris”
Is there a pharmacy near here?
Pharmacies across the city, so you can see which part of town has one close by.
Where can I charge my car?
Public charging stations across the city, from open map data.
Where is the closest library?
Public libraries across the city, with their names and addresses where the map data has them.
I have a list of addresses — can I see them on a map?
Paste addresses or place names (or a spreadsheet) and get a shareable map. Rows that can’t be found are listed, never guessed.
Learning and curiosity
Questions for school, the news, or just wondering — answered with real statistics and real networks.
Which countries are richest per person?
Countries shaded by GDP per person in US dollars, from international statistics.
Where do people live longest?
Life expectancy at birth country by country, so you can compare regions at a glance.
How does the London Underground connect?
The Underground and DLR lines with their stations, drawn on a real map of the city.
Where are Japan’s airports?
Airports across the country, grouped by type — international hubs, regional airports, small airfields, heliports and seaplane bases.
Try: “Airports in Japan”
Where is the night sky still dark?
Light at night as seen from space, so the bright cities and the dark countryside stand out.
Travel and the outdoors
National parks, campgrounds and live ferry positions.
What is there to see in a national park?
The park boundary, its roads, lakes, peaks and main destinations in a park-map style.
Where can I camp?
The park’s campgrounds alongside its visitor centres, entrances, waterfalls and peaks.
Where is the ferry right now?
Ferries on their routes at their latest reported positions.
Ask your own
Swap in your own town, region or country — “wildfires near Kamloops”, “air quality in Mexico City”. You can also map your own list of addresses: paste a list and get a shareable map. Curious how it works? See the three steps.
Ask a questionQuestions people ask
Do I need to know anything about maps or GIS?
No. Type a question the way you would ask a person — “is there a wildfire near Kelowna?” — and ShowMeOnMap picks the data, draws the map and adds a legend. You can then ask follow-up questions to change the map.
Is it free?
You can make up to 3 maps a day without an account. After that, maps are paid for with one-time credit packs from $5; there is no subscription and credits never expire.
Where does the data come from, and how current is it?
Each map is built from public data fetched at the moment you ask — official agency feeds, satellite detections, weather radar and monitoring networks — and the map names its source. How fresh it is depends on that source; the map shows what the source reported when you asked.
Can I rely on it in an emergency?
No. ShowMeOnMap helps you see what is happening, but it is not an alerting service. In an emergency, follow your local authorities and official alerts.