Static maps | Documentation

Satellite imagery basemap style only (with-point)

Navigation night basemap style (with-point)

Satellite imagery basemap style (with-multiple-points)

Navigation basemap style and a route (with-polyline)

Streets basemap style and a building footprint (with-polygon)

Streets basemap style and planned light rail expansion (with-multiple-geometries)

What is a static map?

A static mapA static map is a non-interactive map image generated by the ArcGIS Static Maps service that includes a basemap style and optional geometries such as points, polylines, and polygons.Learn more is a non-interactive map image generated by the ArcGIS Static Maps service. It consists of a basemapA basemap is the foundational layer and data that provides the overall visual and geographic context for a map or scene. It typically includes geographic features and labels for land, water, roads, buildings, cities, places, and administrative boundaries, but can also include raster data such as satellite and areal images.Learn more that defines the map style, such as arcgis/streets, arcgis/navigation, or arcgis/imagery, and an overlay that contains geometriesA geometry is a geometric shape, such as a point, polyline, or polygon, that contains one or more coordinates and a spatial reference.Learn more such as pointsA point is a type of geometry containing a single set of x,y coordinates and a spatial reference.Learn more, polylinesA polyline is a type of geometry containing ordered point coordinates and a spatial reference.Learn more, and polygonsA polygon is a type of geometry containing an array of rings and a spatial reference. Each ring contains an array of point coordinates, where the first and last point are the same.Learn more. Static maps are rendered as png, jpeg, or webp images and do not support user interaction such as panning or zooming. When you request a static map, you can define the map area, image size, and geometry symbols in your request to the service.

Static maps can be generated without a client-side mapping API and are commonly used in web apps, mobile apps, reports, emails, receipts, and other static outputs.

Types of static maps

Depending on your requirements, static maps can be generated using either GET requests for simple maps or POST requests for complex maps. Use the comparison below to choose the map type that best fits your needs.

	Simple maps (`GET`)	Complex maps (`POST`)
Basemap	All supported styles and zoom levels	All supported styles and zoom levels
Overlay	Single geometry or multiple points	Multiple geometries
Geometry types	Point, polyline, or polygon	Points, polylines, and polygons
Maximum geometries	Up to 10 geometries	Up to 64 geometries
Maximum coordinates per geometry	Up to 10 coordinates per geometry	Up to 5000 coordinates per geometry, limited by POST body size
Marker symbols	Default symbols only	Default and custom symbols
Use cases	Business locator Property boundary Route preview	Delivery routes Service areas GPS tracks Incident management
Target applications	Web pages, mobile apps, emails, receipts, and lightweight applications	Web apps, mobile apps, reports, dashboards, operational systems, and full-featured mapping applications

How to get a static map

To create a static map, send a GET or POST request to the ArcGIS Static Maps service. To do so, you need an ArcGIS Location Platform account. The service lets you define the basemap style, map area, overlay geometries, and image specifications. You can customize the geometry styling, output image size, and format.

The base URL for the service is:

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https://static-maps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/static-maps-service/{version}/static-maps/{basemapStyle}/{endpoint}

The general workflow to create a static map is:

Map: Define the basemap style, map center, and zoom level (or radius).
Geometry/Overlay: Define the geometry or geometries for the overlay.
Image: Specify the image size, format, and attribution style.
Request: See examples of Static Maps requests for different types of maps:
- Simple static maps:
- Complex static maps:
  - Map with multiple geometries

What's next?

Go to the following topics to learn how to create static maps with different types of geometries and symbols:

Map with a point

Learn how to show a point on a static map.

Map with multiple points

Learn how to show multiple points on a static map.

Map with a polyline

Learn how to show a simple polyline on a static map.

Map with a polygon

Learn how to show a simple polygon on a static map.

Map with multiple geometries

Learn how to show different geometries and symbols on a static map.