IP Address Lookup

Returns country, city, region, ISP, ASN, hostname, and coordinates for any IPv4 or IPv6 address.

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What Is IP Geolocation?

IP geolocation identifies the country, city, region, ISP, and autonomous system number (ASN) associated with any IPv4 or IPv6 address. The lookup works by matching the IP address against the MaxMind GeoLite2 database — a commercial geolocation dataset updated regularly from ISP and RIR registration data. Results include the IP's reverse DNS hostname (PTR record), its decimal representation, and an interactive map showing the approximate location of the network block. Accuracy is approximately 99% at country level and 81% at city level.

Field	Detail
Data Source	MaxMind GeoLite2-City + GeoLite2-ASN databases
Country Accuracy	~99%
City Accuracy	~81%
Supports	IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
Key Output	Country, city, region, ISP, ASN, hostname, coordinates
Private IPs	Not supported — geolocation requires a public IP address

How to Use the IP Geolocation Lookup Tool

Find the country, city, ISP, and ASN for any IPv4 or IPv6 address in seconds.

Enter an IP Address

Type any public IPv4 or IPv6 address into the input field. Private ranges such as 192.168.x.x and 10.x.x.x are not supported.

Submit the Lookup

Click the Lookup IP Location button. The tool queries the MaxMind GeoLite2 database and returns results instantly.

Review Location Data

Check the country, state or region, and city returned. Geolocation reflects where the IP block is registered — not necessarily the physical device location.

Check ISP and ASN Details

Review the ISP name and autonomous system number (ASN) to identify which organization operates the network that owns this IP address.

View the Map

Use the interactive map to visualize the approximate geographic location of the IP block. The pin shows the network's registered coordinates, accurate to city level.

What Do IP Geolocation Results Mean?

Each field in the result is sourced from either the MaxMind GeoLite2-City database (location fields) or the GeoLite2-ASN database (network fields). Location data reflects where the IP block is registered — not necessarily the physical location of the device or user behind the IP.

Field	Meaning	Example
Country	Country where the IP block is registered with the ISP	United States 🇺🇸
State / Region	State or regional subdivision associated with the IP registration	California
City	Approximate city of the network block — accurate to ~81% for most ISPs	Mountain View
Latitude / Longitude	Geographic coordinates of the IP block in decimal and DMS format — approximate, not street-level	37.4056 (37° 24′ 20.16″ N)
ASN	Autonomous System Number — identifies the network operator (ISP or hosting provider) routing this IP	15169
ISP	Organization name of the ASN holder — typically the ISP, cloud provider, or enterprise network operator	Google LLC
Hostname	Reverse DNS (PTR record) hostname associated with the IP — resolved via live DNS query	dns.google
Decimal	IPv4 address expressed as a 32-bit unsigned integer — used in network programming and some firewall configurations	134744072

How IP Geolocation Works

MaxMind GeoLite2 database lookup. Location data is retrieved from the MaxMind GeoLite2-City database, a widely used commercial IP geolocation dataset. The database maps IP address blocks (CIDR ranges) to geographic locations based on RIR registration data, ISP-provided location data, and network topology analysis. Results are returned in milliseconds from a local database — no external API call is made for the geolocation query.
ASN data from GeoLite2-ASN. The ISP name and ASN are sourced from the MaxMind GeoLite2-ASN database, which maps IP address blocks to their registered autonomous system. An autonomous system (AS) is a network under the control of a single operator — typically an ISP, hosting provider, or large enterprise — identified by a globally unique ASN assigned by IANA and the five Regional Internet Registries.
Reverse DNS hostname via live DNS query. The hostname field is resolved by performing a live reverse DNS (PTR) query against the entered IP address. PTR records map an IP address back to a domain name and are stored in the in-addr.arpa zone for IPv4 and the ip6.arpa zone for IPv6. Not all IPs have a PTR record — cloud and residential IPs frequently have none. For a dedicated PTR lookup tool, use Reverse DNS Lookup.
Accuracy limitations. IP geolocation is an approximation. Country-level accuracy is ~99% for most ISPs. City-level accuracy drops to ~81% and is lower for mobile networks (which assign IPs from regional pools), satellite internet, and any connection routed through a VPN or proxy (which shows the VPN server location, not the user's location). IP geolocation does not reveal street addresses or identify individual users — only the network block registered to the ISP.

IP Geolocation vs GPS vs W3C Location API — Accuracy and Method Comparison

Feature	IP Geolocation	GPS (Hardware)	W3C Geolocation API
Data Source	ISP routing data and RIR registration (MaxMind GeoLite2)	Satellite triangulation (24+ GPS satellites)	GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, or cell tower data — browser-selected
Typical Accuracy	~25 miles at city level (~81% accuracy)	3–5 meters under open sky	Varies: 3–5m (GPS), 15–40m (Wi-Fi), 300m–3km (cell towers)
Points To	ISP network routing hub — not the physical device	Physical device location	Physical device location (method-dependent)
User Permission Required	No — works silently on any IP	Yes — explicit OS-level permission	Yes — explicit browser permission prompt
Works Without Hardware	Yes — network-only	No — requires GPS chip	Partially — falls back to Wi-Fi or cell towers if no GPS
Affected by VPN	Yes — shows VPN server location, not device location	No — satellite signal is independent of network	No — reads hardware sensors, not network routing
Use Case	Network traffic analysis, abuse investigation, geofiltering	Navigation, precision mapping, asset tracking	Location-aware web apps (maps, local search, delivery)

For browser-based GPS-precision location without an IP address, use the My Location tool, which queries the W3C Geolocation API directly and returns coordinates accurate to within a few meters on GPS-enabled devices.

Common Uses for IP Geolocation Lookup

Geofiltering and access control. A web application developer needs to restrict access to users in specific countries for compliance or licensing reasons. IP geolocation lookup verifies that the country detection logic is returning the correct result for a given IP block, and helps identify edge cases where mobile or VPN traffic falls outside the expected geographic range.

Investigating unfamiliar inbound connections. A server administrator notices repeated login attempts from an IP address not associated with any known user. IP geolocation quickly identifies the country and ISP behind the IP — providing context for whether to block the address range and which organization to contact via IP WHOIS Lookup for a formal abuse report.

Verifying VPN and proxy behavior. A network engineer testing whether a VPN connection correctly routes traffic through the intended exit node uses IP geolocation to confirm the exit IP is registered in the expected country and ISP. If the result shows a different country or a residential ISP rather than a commercial VPN provider, the VPN configuration has a routing issue. Check for VPN and proxy detection directly using the Proxy Checker tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is IP geolocation?

IP geolocation from MaxMind GeoLite2 is approximately 99% accurate at the country level and approximately 81% accurate at the city level. Accuracy is lower for mobile networks, satellite internet, and VPN or proxy connections, where the IP may be registered to a different city or country than the physical device. Geolocation reflects where the IP block is registered with the ISP, not the precise location of the user or device behind it.

Why is my IP address showing the wrong city or country?

IP geolocation is approximate — the result reflects where the IP block is registered with the ISP, not where you physically are. VPN and proxy connections show the location of the VPN server, not your real location. Mobile networks frequently assign IP addresses registered to a regional hub city rather than your actual city. Corporate networks may route traffic through a central IP block registered at headquarters, regardless of where individual users connect from.

What is the difference between IP geolocation and IP WHOIS?

IP geolocation maps an IP address to an approximate physical location — country, city, and region — using a commercial database such as MaxMind GeoLite2. IP WHOIS queries the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) database via RDAP (RFC 7480) to return the legal organization, network block, and abuse contact registered to the IP. Geolocation answers "where is this IP located?" while WHOIS answers "who owns this IP block?" For ownership and contact details, use the IP WHOIS Lookup tool.

What is the difference between IP geolocation and GPS location?

IP geolocation estimates location from network routing data and is accurate to the city level at best — typically within 25 miles. GPS uses satellite signals to determine physical position within 3–5 meters. IP geolocation requires no permission and works on any device; GPS requires explicit user consent and is only available on GPS-enabled devices. Use the My Location tool for GPS-level precision.

Can an IP lookup reveal someone's home address or identity?

No. An IP lookup identifies the ISP or organization that owns the IP block and maps it to an approximate city-level location — it cannot reveal a specific street address, name, or identity. Identifying an individual from an IP address requires a formal legal request to the ISP, which only law enforcement can compel.

Why does a VPN or proxy IP show the wrong location?

When connected to a VPN or proxy, your traffic exits through the VPN provider's server — so the IP lookup returns the server's location, not yours. This is the intended function of a VPN. If you see an unexpected location while not using a VPN, your ISP may be routing your traffic through a regional hub. Use the Proxy Checker tool to verify whether an IP belongs to a VPN or proxy service.

What information does an IP lookup return?

An IP location lookup returns: country, region, city, postal code, latitude and longitude (in decimal and DMS format), ISP name, organization, ASN (Autonomous System Number), hostname (via reverse DNS), and IP type (IPv4 or IPv6). It does not return the physical street address, device type, user identity, or browsing history associated with the IP.

What is an ASN and why does it appear in the results?

An autonomous system number (ASN) is a unique identifier assigned by IANA to a network operator — typically an ISP, hosting provider, or large enterprise — that controls a distinct block of IP addresses on the internet. The ASN identifies which network operator is responsible for routing the IP address, which is useful for tracing traffic origins, investigating abuse, and understanding network topology. For detailed ASN registration data, use the IP to ASN Lookup tool.

Do you store the IP addresses I look up?

IP addresses entered into this tool are not stored or logged. Each lookup queries the MaxMind GeoLite2 database locally and returns the result directly to your browser. No lookup history is retained on the server after the request completes.

Can I look up an IPv6 address?

Yes — both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses are fully supported. IPv6 geolocation coverage in MaxMind GeoLite2 is slightly less complete than IPv4 at city level, but country-level results are available for the vast majority of globally routed IPv6 prefixes. Enter the IPv6 address in standard notation — for example, 2001:4860:4860::8888 — and the tool resolves it automatically.