What Is My Location?

How IP geolocation works

IP geolocation works by mapping your public IP address to a geographic location using databases maintained by companies like MaxMind, IP2Location, and others. These databases correlate IP address ranges with physical locations based on ISP registration data, network infrastructure, and user-submitted corrections.

When you visit a website, your IP address is visible to that server. The server can then look up your IP in a geolocation database to determine your approximate country, region, and city. This is how websites serve localised content, display prices in your local currency, or restrict access to certain regions.

Accuracy levels

• Country level — typically 99%+ accurate
• Region/state level — typically 80-90% accurate
• City level — typically 50-80% accurate
• Street/building level — not possible with IP geolocation

Why your IP location may be wrong

Several factors can cause IP geolocation to show an incorrect city or region:

• ISP routing — your ISP may route your traffic through a hub in a different city
• VPN or proxy — shows the server's location, not yours
• Mobile data — often geolocated to the carrier's headquarters
• Corporate networks — may route all traffic through a central office
• Outdated database — IP ranges are reassigned and databases may lag behind
• CGNAT — carrier-grade NAT shared by many users makes precise location harder

If you believe your location is significantly wrong, you can request a correction from MaxMind at their IP geolocation correction form.

Location privacy and your rights

Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are considered personal data when they can be linked to an identifiable individual. This means websites that process your IP address for geolocation purposes must have a legal basis for doing so.

If you are concerned about websites tracking your approximate location via your IP address, the most effective solution is to use a VPN that routes your traffic through a server in a different location, replacing your real IP with the VPN server's IP.