Plotting zip-codes on a US map in excel worksheet?

[hrithik]

I have a list of zip codes that I want to plot on a US map.

Here is a sheet with a US map in it
http://tushar-mehta.com/publish_train/xl_vba_cases/0301-dashboard-conditional_shape_colors.htm

Is it possible to plot the zip codes on this excel worksheet?


Any pointers?

 

[hrithik]

Anyone who has done something similar?

 

[rbecker1014]

I am looking for something similar for Zip Codes in california.

 

[shg]

First you need a picture (map) of the state of California with a known projection -- ideally, geographic (equirectangular) or plate carrée. In that projection, latitude and longitude are linear in x and y. NASA's Blue Marble imagery, available on the web, is plate carrée.

Then, knowing the lat and long extents of the picture, you can set it as a background in a chart, set the chart min and max values accordingly, and plot the lat/longs of zip codes as points.