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The Layers menu

Maps 3 min read Beginner Updated

Maps is not part of 4Lakeland. It runs on 4search.com and 4conservative.com. You can read this guide here, and use Maps on 4search.com.
On this page
  1. Open the menu
  2. Map type
  3. Map details
  4. Live
  5. Explore
  6. Internet infrastructure
  7. Miles or kilometers, Measure and Sources
  8. Common questions

The Layers button in the bottom-left corner of the map opens a menu with everything the map can show. Pick one map type for the ground, then turn on as many layers on top of it as you like.

#Open the menu

Select Layers. Its small picture shows the map type you would switch to. Select a switch to turn it on (it turns blue) or off. Close the menu with the ×, Esc or a click on the map.

The Layers menu open over the map: five map types (Default, Satellite, Terrain, Light, Dark), then groups of switches for Map details, Live, Explore and Internet infrastructure, and at the bottom the distance units and a Measure button

The Layers menu. The map type is one choice; everything below can be combined.

  1. 1Map type: how the ground looks
  2. 2Map details: transit, cycling, 3D terrain, 3D buildings, globe
  3. 3Live layers
  4. 4Explore: Wikipedia and street-level photos
  5. 5Internet infrastructure: data centers and more
  6. 6Miles or kilometers, the Measure tool, and the list of sources

#Map type

Type What it is for
Default The everyday street map. It follows the site's colors: dark when you use the Dark theme.
Satellite Aerial and satellite pictures with streets and names on top. See Satellite.
Terrain Shaded hills and mountains.
Light A pale, quiet map that lets layers such as earthquakes or data centers stand out.
Dark A dark map, easier on the eyes at night.

#Map details

  • Transit: subway, tram, light rail and rail lines, and stations.
  • Cycling: bike paths and lanes, and streets open to bikes.
  • 3D terrain: lifts the hills and mountains into 3D (tilt the map to see it).
  • 3D buildings: buildings drawn at their height when you zoom in on a city (on by default; not shown over satellite pictures).
  • Globe: shows the whole Earth as a globe when you zoom out (on by default). Turn it off for a flat world map.

#Live

Weather radar, Clouds now, Earthquakes, Wildfires and Air quality. See Live maps.

#Explore

  • Wikipedia: markers for Wikipedia articles about places around the middle of the map, once you zoom in.
  • Street-level photos: where photos of streets and paths exist; select one to look around.

#Internet infrastructure

Data centers, AI supercomputers, Cloud regions and Big tech campuses. See The data center map.

#Miles or kilometers, Measure and Sources

The bottom row of the menu has:

  • Distances in mi / km: distances and areas on Maps switch at once, including routes, search results, the elevation chart of a route and the scale bar. Maps starts in miles in the United States, the United Kingdom and a few other places, and in kilometers elsewhere.
  • Measure: measures a distance or an area on the map. See Map controls and gestures.
  • Sources: the list of every source and its licence.

#Common questions

Why did the Dark map turn on by itself?

The Default map follows the site's color theme. If you chose the Dark theme for the site, the street map is dark too. See Themes.

Why did a layer I turned on disappear when I chose another map type in the ribbon?

Each type in the ribbon turns on what it needs and turns it off again when you move to the next type. Layers you turn on yourself in this menu stay on until you turn them off.

Why can't I see 3D buildings?

Zoom in on a city: buildings rise only close up. They are also hidden while the Satellite map type is on, and only buildings whose height is recorded in OpenStreetMap stand up.

Read next

Maps Types of map: satellite, terrain, 3D, transit, cycling and more Switch the map to satellite pictures, 3D mountains or buildings, transit lines, bike paths, street-level photos or Wikipedia from the ribbon. Maps Live maps: weather radar, earthquakes, wildfires and air quality Weather radar, the past week's earthquakes, active U.S. wildfires and the air quality now, each with a list of the biggest or worst. Maps Map controls and gestures Move, zoom, turn and tilt the map with a mouse, keys or fingers, show where you are, use the right-click menu, measure, and use Maps on a phone. Maps The data center map Explore data centers, AI supercomputers, cloud regions and big tech campuses by country and U.S. state, with owners and size where known.