Technology

H3

H3 is Uber's open-source, hierarchical, hexagonal geospatial indexing system: the definitive grid for scalable spatial analysis.

H3 is a discrete global grid system, engineered by Uber Technologies, that partitions the Earth's surface into a multi-resolution grid of hexagonal cells (with 12 necessary pentagons). This structure enables high-performance spatial operations: each cell receives a unique H3 index, encoding both its location and resolution level (0 to 15). The hexagonal geometry minimizes directional bias and provides nearly equal-area cells, a significant advantage over traditional latitude-longitude or square-based systems (e.g., Google's S2). Uber uses H3 extensively for core functions like dynamic pricing, demand heatmaps, and route optimization across its ride-sharing and delivery platforms, proving its capability for planet-scale spatial data management.