Place coverage
Open map and place sources help RestMap know where candidate restrooms, stores, restaurants, charging stops, parks, and public facilities may be.
Data Sources
See where RestMap restroom data comes from.
RestMap combines OpenStreetMap, Refuge Restrooms, MapKit/Apple Places, Open Charge Map, RestMap brand profiles, and user-submitted ratings into source-labeled restroom search and RestRoom IQ scores.
No account required. RestMap does not store your precise location on its servers. RestRoom IQ scoring runs on device.
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- Six source groups Each contributes a different kind of restroom or place signal.
- 2M+ locations RestRoom IQ scores help compare nearby options.
- Source labels Supported signals show where the context came from.
- Needs More Data Thin coverage is surfaced instead of hidden.
How It Works
A good restroom score starts with knowing the signal behind it.
RestMap does not treat every source as the same kind of evidence. A map tag, a business category, a brand profile, and a user-submitted rating can all help, but they answer different questions.
Restroom-specific context
Refuge Restrooms, OpenStreetMap tags, brand profiles, and user-submitted ratings can add restroom-specific signals when that data exists.
Coverage boundaries
When a source does not answer a question, RestMap should show thin coverage through source labels or Needs More Data states.
On-device scoring
No account required. RestMap does not store your precise location on its servers. RestRoom IQ scoring runs on device.
Sources describe what a place generally offers. For what is true today — current hours, a recent closure, a changed entrance — the Inspector researches the place when you ask. It shows when it last checked, marks aging information, and withholds conflicted facts rather than presenting them as certainty. It is a head start from public sources, not a guarantee. Those checks sit alongside the source groups above; they do not replace them.
Source Groups
The named sources behind RestMap.
Data is sourced from OpenStreetMap, Refuge Restrooms, Open Charge Map, MapKit/Apple Places, RestMap brand profiles, and user-submitted ratings. Previously loaded locations and ratings can remain available without signal.
Open map data
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap contributes public amenity and place context, including public restroom points of interest and the map fabric around restaurants, cafes, gas stations, parks, and rest stops.
License: ODbL 1.0. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Community records
Refuge Restrooms
Refuge Restrooms contributes community-submitted restroom access context, especially around all-gender, unisex, single-occupancy, and accessibility-related signals.
RestMap uses Refuge Restrooms as a public data source and credits it where those signals are explained. Learn more at refugerestrooms.org.
Place metadata
MapKit / Apple Places
MapKit and Apple Places can provide business names, categories, addresses, hours, coordinates, and related place metadata through the iOS map stack.
RestMap uses that context to compare candidate stops, not as a standalone claim that a restroom is available or current.
Route planning
Open Charge Map
Open Charge Map contributes electric-vehicle charging location context for route planning. This helps Journey IQ compare restroom stops with charging stops when that matters for a trip.
Learn more at openchargemap.org.
RestMap-maintained
RestMap brand profiles
RestMap brand profiles capture chain-level restroom tendencies for restaurant, retail, gas-station, and travel-stop brands where a brand pattern is useful context.
These profiles are maintained by RestMap and used as one signal alongside map, place, and user-submitted data.
User-submitted
User-submitted ratings
RestMap users can submit ratings and notes. Those ratings are useful, but they are a signal rather than the whole picture.
Thin or conflicting coverage should surface as Needs More Data instead of pretending the location is fully understood.
Source Labels
What a source label can tell you, and what it cannot.
A source label explains why RestMap is showing a signal. It does not mean every detail about that restroom is complete, current, or personally inspected by RestMap.
RestRoom IQ scores combine signals so you can compare nearby options. A score is a planning aid, not a promise about current hours, signage, room setup, cleanliness, or access.
Source-backed Reported Needs More Data RestRoom IQ
-
Restroom-specific signal
Refuge Restrooms, OpenStreetMap, brand profile, or other source context
Source-backed -
User-submitted context
Rating or note from a RestMap user
Reported -
Missing or thin detail
No strong source yet
Needs More Data
Data Boundaries
RestMap should be clear when data is thin.
Some source groups are broad and global. Others are narrow but restroom-specific. Coverage also varies by market, source freshness, user activity, and the kind of restroom detail being requested.
That is why RestMap pairs scores with source labels and Needs More Data states. The goal is to reduce guesswork without overstating what the data knows.
What source data can help with
Compare candidate stops, explain why a signal appears, support route planning, and show when a restroom needs more ratings or better source coverage.
Go Deeper
Related RestMap explainers.
These pages explain how source data turns into scores, route recommendations, and focused restroom searches.
IQ Platform
How RestRoom IQ, Journey IQ, and Scout IQ use source signals.
Explore →Compare RestMap
How RestMap differs from generic map and place search.
Explore →Glossary
Plain-language definitions for restroom and source terms.
Explore →Road Trip Planner
Route planning with RestRoom IQ stops, weather, and EV charging context.
Explore →Gender-Neutral Finder
All-gender and single-occupancy restroom context sourced from Refuge Restrooms.
Explore →Accessible Restroom Finder
Accessibility signals, source labels, and RestRoom IQ scores across 2M+ locations.
Explore →Common Questions
Data source questions, answered plainly.
What data sources does RestMap use?
RestMap uses OpenStreetMap, Refuge Restrooms, Open Charge Map, MapKit/Apple Places, RestMap brand profiles, and user-submitted ratings.
Does every location have complete restroom details?
No. Some places have strong restroom-specific signals, while others only have broader place context. Thin coverage should appear through source labels or Needs More Data states.
Does RestMap inspect every restroom?
No. RestMap combines source data, brand profiles, and user-submitted ratings. Source labels help show where the context came from and when more data is needed.
How do user ratings affect RestRoom IQ?
User-submitted ratings can add local context, but they are weighted as one signal. A small number of ratings should not overpower stronger source context by itself.
Can loaded data remain available without signal?
Previously loaded locations and ratings can remain available without signal. RestRoom IQ scoring runs on device, and RestMap does not store your precise location on its servers.
Can I contribute better restroom data?
Yes. You can rate restrooms and add notes in RestMap. User-submitted ratings can add context for the next traveler, especially when source details are thin.
Compare restroom options with source context.
Download RestMap and see RestRoom IQ scores, source labels, route planning, and Needs More Data states in one iOS app.
