30 Times Google Maps Captured Something So Odd, It Had People Zooming In

If Google Maps suddenly vanished, we'd all be in trouble. It’s hard to even wrap your head around its scale when you look at the numbers. With over 2 billion monthly users, it’s the most popular navigation tool in the world. And in 2024 alone, it provided directions covering 1 trillion kilometers, which, according to Google, is like Earth orbiting the sun more than a thousand times.

But keeping a map this massive up to date is no small task. Google is constantly refining its data, making 100 million updates to the map every single day. That’s over 4 million updates per hour! And no wonder so many people rely on it to find their favorite spots. With 250 million businesses and places mapped out, getting where you need to go is extremely convenient.

Of course, Google Maps isn’t just about navigation. One of its coolest features is the ability to explore the world through satellite images and Street View. I use Street View all the time—to get a sense of a new place, check for parking (pro tip!), or just wander through different cities from my couch. It’s an amazing way to glimpse everyday life in countries all over the world.

But have you ever wondered how Street View actually works? How does Google capture all those visuals, constantly update them, and upload them into a single app? And why go through all the trouble?

As Harold Stark explains in a 2017 Forbes article, back in 1998, when Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page started the company, they had a vision to “organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Google Maps is a huge part of that mission. By collecting an enormous amount of geospatial data and making it available in a mobile app, Google is essentially creating an interactive digital world.

To bring that world to life, Street View launched in 2007, letting users see real images of locations rather than just a flat map. But Google doesn’t do it all alone. For the base maps, they pull data from organizations like the U.S. Geological Survey, the Forest Service, and city councils, stitching together everything from massive highways to tiny backroads.

Then, of course, there’s the Street View imagery, the part we love most. To capture those shots, Google sends out cars fitted with special 360-degree cameras, driving through streets, neighborhoods, and even quiet residential areas. You’ve probably seen one of these Street View cars yourself! Some lucky people even spot them in time to strike a pose—or, in the case of a group of kids in Syracuse, chase it down the street, securing their place in Google Maps history.

But cars aren’t always enough. To capture hard-to-reach places, Google also uses boats, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and even backpacks equipped with cameras for areas where vehicles can’t go, like the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.