Icons and colors in Google Maps provide a wealth of information about the locations, landmarks, and directions that you need. Whether you're exploring a new city or trying to navigate through traffic, Google Maps can help you find your way:
- Red Pins: These indicate points of interest, such as businesses, landmarks, or other notable locations. When you search for a specific place or address, Google Maps will drop a red pin at the location. You can also save locations as favorites or add them to custom maps using red pins.
- Blue Pins: These indicate your current location or the location you've searched for. When you use Google Maps on a mobile device with location services turned on, you'll see a blue dot representing your current location. When you search for an address or location, Google Maps will drop a blue pin on the map to show you where it is.
- Yellow/Orange Pins: These indicate search results for specific categories, such as restaurants, hotels, or gas stations. When you search for a specific category, such as "pizza," Google Maps will drop yellow/orange pins on the map to show you the locations of nearby pizza restaurants.
- Purple Pins: These indicate points of interest, such as parks, museums, or other attractions. When you search for a specific point of interest, such as "Central Park," Google Maps will drop a purple pin on the map to show you its location.
- Green Pins: These indicate the start or end point for directions. When you get directions from one location to another, Google Maps will drop a green pin at the starting point and a red pin at the destination. You can drag the pins to adjust your route.
- Blue Lines: These indicate water, such as rivers, lakes, or oceans. Blue lines on the map show you where bodies of water are located.
- Green Areas: These indicate parks, forests, or other natural areas. When you zoom in on the map, you'll see green areas that represent parks and other natural areas. You can click on these areas to learn more about them.
- Gray Areas: These indicate streets and highways. Gray areas on the map show you where roads are located, including streets, highways, and other thoroughfares. You can click on these areas to see traffic information and get directions.
- Orange Lines: These indicate traffic congestion. When you view traffic information on Google Maps, you'll see orange lines on the map to show you where traffic is slow or congested.
- Red Lines: These indicate heavy traffic congestion. When traffic is very slow or congested, Google Maps will show red lines on the map to alert you to the situation.
- Dashed Lines: These indicate pedestrian or bike paths. When you view a map of an area, you'll see dashed lines that represent pedestrian or bike paths. These lines can help you plan your route if you're walking or biking.