H3 resolution chooser
The resolution whose average cell is closest to a target area or edge length, with the full resolution table (122 base cells, 12 pentagons at each resolution).
Use resolution 8, averaging 0.7373 km² per cell.
| Resolution | Average area | Average edge | Cells on Earth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4357000 km2 | 1281 km | 122 |
| 1 | 609800 km2 | 483.1 km | 842 |
| 2 | 86800 km2 | 182.5 km | 5,882 |
| 3 | 12390 km2 | 68.98 km | 41,162 |
| 4 | 1770 km2 | 26.07 km | 288,122 |
| 5 | 252.9 km2 | 9.854 km | 2,016,842 |
| 6 | 36.13 km2 | 3.725 km | 14,117,882 |
| 7 | 5.161 km2 | 1.406 km | 98,825,162 |
| 8 | 0.7373 km2 | 0.5314 km | 691,776,122 |
| 9 | 0.1053 km2 | 0.2008 km | 4,842,432,842 |
| 10 | 0.01505 km2 | 0.07586 km | 33,897,029,882 |
| 11 | 0.00215 km2 | 0.02866 km | 237,279,209,162 |
| 12 | 0.0003071 km2 | 0.01083 km | 1,660,954,464,122 |
| 13 | 0.00004387 km2 | 0.004092 km | 11,626,681,248,842 |
| 14 | 0.000006267 km2 | 0.001546 km | 81,386,768,741,882 |
| 15 | 8.953e-7 km2 | 0.0005842 km | 569,707,381,193,162 |
- Average area there
- Next coarser
- Next coarser average area
Provenance
- Computed by
- indexing.h3.resolution-chooser 1.0.0, core 0.1.0
- Model
- H3 average hexagon area and edge length per resolution (h3o 0.11 tables, same as H3 C)
- Accuracy
- Averages; real cells vary by about ±50% from center to icosahedron edges
- Notes
- None
- Cites
- Uber Technologies and the H3 contributors, H3: A Hexagonal Hierarchical Geospatial Indexing System (API reference v4); Hydronium Labs, h3o: a Rust implementation of H3
Something look off?
How we got thisFormula, worked example, sources, and proof
Model: H3 average hexagon area and edge length per resolution (h3o 0.11 tables, same as H3 C)
Accuracy: Averages; real cells vary by about ±50% from center to icosahedron edges
When to use this: Use this before anything else on an H3 grid: it names the resolution whose average cell is closest to the area or edge length you want, and shows the whole table, so a choice between two levels can be made with the numbers in front of you rather than by trial.
Limitations: The table is averages: real cells vary by a few percent, cells are not equal-area, and each resolution has twelve pentagons that are smaller than their neighbors. An average area is a guide to a resolution, not a guarantee about any one cell, and the right resolution also depends on how many cells the work can carry.
Worked example: 1 km² cells. Source: add-spatial-indexing-and-raster scenario: resolution 8 (≈ 0.74 km²), 7 is ≈ 5.16 km². It is golden test vector v001, and every build checks the tool still gives its answer within its tolerance.
You enter
- Target cell area
- 1 km2
You get
- Recommended resolution
- 8
- Average area there
- 0.7373 km²
- Next coarser
- 7
- Next coarser average area
- 5.161 km²
Review: Not yet independently reviewed by a GIS professional.
Last verified: 2026-09-18, when a maintainer last confirmed this tool's sources at the issuer. See the sources ledger.
Status: version 1.0.0, core 0.1.0. See this tool in the verification report.
Changes
- 2026-09-19, changed: Every indexing tool is now stable. Geohash decode and neighbors match pygeohash on 1,000 and 500 cases; the Plus Code tools pass every row of the Open Location Code test data; tile ground resolution matches the Bing Maps table; the H3 resolution chooser matches H3's resolution table; and H3 polygon fill gives H3 C's own test counts (1,253 cells, 1,214 with a hole). Results are unchanged apart from the fix below. Changelog
Checked against: 22 golden test vectors (download the test vectors, each with its source and tolerance). See how results are checked and every source.
Sources
- H3: A Hexagonal Hierarchical Geospatial Indexing System (API reference v4), Uber Technologies and the H3 contributors, H3 4.x documentation. Indexing, inspection, traversal, hierarchy, directed edges, vertexes, and resolution tables. Read free.
- h3o: a Rust implementation of H3, Hydronium Labs, 0.11.0 (tested against H3 C). CellIndex, LatLng, Resolution. Read free.
Terms
- H3: H3 hexagonal hierarchical index
- A global grid of hexagons (and 12 pentagons) at 16 resolutions, each cell about one-seventh the area of its parent, named by a 15-character index. Source: H3 hexagonal index
H3 — H3 hexagonal hierarchical index
A global grid of hexagons (and 12 pentagons) at 16 resolutions, each cell about one-seventh the area of its parent, named by a 15-character index.
Source: H3 hexagonal index
Learn the concept: How to choose an H3 resolution