Using the Locate Features Along Routes tool

When locating point features along routes, the route and measure information of each point feature is computed and written to a point event table. When locating line features along routes, the route and measure information is computed at the intersection of the line and route data and written to a line event table. When locating polygon features along routes, this route and measure information is computed at the geometric intersection of polygon data and route data and written to a line event table.

To be located successfully, the features must be located on or within a specified tolerance of the routes. The default search tolerance is 0. You control the size of the search tolerance by specifying a distance in whichever units you prefer. The search tolerance for points specifies a search radius; for lines, it specifies a cluster tolerance. The search tolerance does not apply to polygons.

In ArcGIS, the Locate Features Along Routes tool allows you to locate point, line, or polygon features along routes.

Learn more about the Locate Features Along Routes tool

1. In ArcCatalog, expand the Toolboxes folder in the Catalog tree.
2. Expand System Toolboxes to show its contents.
3. Expand the Linear Referencing Tools toolbox to show its contents.
4. Double-click the Locate Features Along Routes tool.
5. Click the Input Featuresbrowse button and navigate to the feature class or layer. Alternatively, click the drop-down arrow and choose the input layer.
6. Click the Input Route Features browse button and navigate to the feature class or layer. Alternatively, click the drop-down arrow and choose the input layer.
7. Click the Route Identifier Field drop-down arrow and click the route identifier field.
8. If the input is a point feature class, type a search radius.
9. If the input is a line feature class, type a cluster tolerance.
10. If the input is a polygon feature class, the parameter is unavailable.
11. Click the Search Radius drop-down arrow and click a unit of measure.
12. Type the file name and path in the Output Event Tabletext box or click the browse button to specify the output location.
13. Default values will be set on theOutput Event Table Propertiesdialog box. You can change the suggested field names by clicking any of the active drop-down arrows and selecting an alternative value.
14. Click OK.

Tip:

A zero length line event occurs when the from- and to-measures are the same. This can happen in locating polygons along routes, for example, when a polygon touches a route but does not overlap it.

Tip:

When you locate features along routes, any definition queries or selections set up on the input point layer will be respected.

Learn more about locating features along routes