How Many Years Does it Take to Update the Google Map System?

How Many Years Does it Take to Update the Google Map System? thumbnail
The online Google Maps tool is free.

It can take Google between one and three years to update its mapping system, which includes the Google Maps and Google Earth products. Most of the satellite mapping data is obtained from a third-party provider, so Google may lag a few months behind its competitors. There are other reasons why Google might not update a location immediately.

  1. Location

    • Google tends to update the more popular and most populated locations throughout the globe first, as cities like Los Angeles, New York City and London have a higher priority. Other information that dictates whether a location is updated more frequently is how often that location is searched for in the Google mapping products. Locations that rank low in the search results will take longer to update, as there isn't a high enough priority to update them as frequently.

    Security Concerns

    • Another reason that a location may not update frequently is for security reasons. Some businesses, corporations and military installations request a less frequent update schedule. In fact, some military bases are totally removed from the Google map system or at least partially blocked. One example of this is the Area 51 base in Nevada.

    Third-Party Vendors

    • Google gets much of its mapping data from third-party vendors, which is one reason that it takes a bit longer for Google to update than other online map websites. One such partnership is with Tele Atlas, a digital maps company founded in 1984, which provides a substantial amount of map data to Google.

    Report Problems

    • Google encourages you to report problems with a map. Local users are more suited to discovering problems with the map data provided in Google's products. If you know of a route or location problem, then you can report the problem. To report a issue, click the "Report a Problem" link at the bottom right of the map of a location. Click the same link below driving directions if the route is wrong.

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  • Photo Credit Michael Nagle/Getty Images News/Getty Images

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