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I'm trying to create a service area map in Google Maps. When one searches for a city or town, Google outlines the town in a light red. If possible, I'd like to have multiple towns selected in this method.
I'm aware its possible to draw it out using the line tool, but there are about 60 towns and it would take forever. Any ideas?
If you dont find those town's boundaries somewhere online, then your only option will be digitizing them all. If you want to digitize those boundaries on a google map, then Google's Drawing Library and a little bit of Javascript programming will help you.
You can also use Quantum GIS together with the Openlayers plugin to be able to digitize based on a Google or OSM map.
Very old question, but I have a new solution. It is based on screenshots, it wont be usable for all situations, but someone may appreciate it.
Lets say you want to highlight more states in the USA. For example New York and California.
Open 2x Google maps and search both states separately in 2 tabs. (links 1+2) Then zoom and reposition one of the maps to cover all areas you are interested in.
Now check the URL of the map (link 3). It contains this substring: @39.4563534,-93.9396224,5z The substring contains info about coordinates and the zoom. Now you have to replace this substring in all the URLs of all your maps. But before you do it, you have to move each map by mouse to any other position, or just change the zoom. If you dont do it, the pasted substring will be ignored.
Now you can take screenshots and paste all the perfectly aligned maps to MS PowerPoint to the same position so they will hide each other. Then use function Format/Crop to crop them. Using this tool you will be able to change dimensions of particular images so that each image will reveal the highlighted area, but together all imgs will create 1 large Google map...
1) New York 2) California 3) New York - zoomed out 4) California - with identical zoom and position as NY
Please check out the City Limits maps on this site: https://www.randymajors.org/city-limits-on-google-maps
I think it does what the OP wanted and has been useful to me.
