How to Batch More Than the Census Geocoder's Limits Allow (Free)

The official Census Geocoder website caps file uploads and query rates. Here are the actual limits, and a tool that respects them while automating the whole loop.

The limits

~5 requests/second per IP (API guidance)
One-line address format only for the onelineaddress endpoint
No API key — which also means no paid tier

How GeoFlow handles it

GeoFlow self-limits to 4/s, handles NO_MATCH rows cleanly, retries through a proxy path if direct access fails, and streams results into a downloadable CSV.

Try it free

Open GeoFlow — free up to 100 addresses per run

Data source: U.S. Census Bureau Geocoder (public domain). Timezone: tz-lookup (MIT).

FAQ

Can I raise the limit?

Not on the free API — it is the same for everyone. Automate politely at 4/s instead.

Why is my run slow?

4/s means ~4 minutes for 1,000 addresses. The progress bar shows the ETA live.