MapQuest

MapQuest, formerly (1967–94) Cartographic Services, a division of R.R. Donnelley and Sons, and (1994–99) GeoSystems Global Corporation, American Web-based, wireless mapping service owned by AOL (formerly known as America Online). MapQuest is headquartered in Lancaster, Pa., and Denver, Colo.

In 1967 R.R. Donnelley and Sons created a new division, Cartographic Services, to produce printed road maps and distribute them for free at gas (petrol) stations. In 1994 Cartographic Services became an independent company and was renamed GeoSystems Global Corporation. It launched the MapQuest.com Web site in 1996. Three years later the company was renamed again, this time becoming MapQuest to leverage the popularity of the online brand. MapQuest was acquired by America Online in 2000.

MapQuest.com users can access maps of any place in the world, obtain driving directions by providing their starting and ending locations, and find hotels, hospitals, automatic teller machines (ATMs), and more. Through the Gas Prices feature, launched in 2007, users can find information on the location and price of gasoline or alternative fuel. MapQuest offers a number of mobile telephone services, including MapQuest Mobile, which for a monthly fee enables users to access maps and driving directions on their cellular telephones; MapQuest Traffic, which sends traffic updates to a user’s mobile telephone; and MapQuest Find Me, which allows users to identify their current location, share that location with a friend, and find nearby points of interest.

MapQuest also offers a number of products and services to businesses, including mapping software that provides prospective customers with store locators and driving directions. Other software products issued by MapQuest allow businesses to establish sales territories, monitor their assets, and track route deliveries.