[Custom Integration] POI Zones - Automatic Zones from OpenStreetMap Data
Ever wanted Home Assistant to automatically create zones for all the hospitals, schools, restaurants, or parks near you? Now it can!
What is POI Zones?
POI Zones is a custom integration that automatically creates Home Assistant zones for Points of Interest (POIs) near your location using real OpenStreetMap data. No manual zone creation, no coordinate hunting - just select a POI type and city, and zones are created automatically.
Real-World Example
Here’s what made me create this: I wanted to get notified when family members were at a hospital for more than 30 minutes. Instead of manually creating zones for every hospital in Syracuse, this integration:
- Found all hospitals within 25km automatically
- Created zones with intelligent sizing (small clinics get 130m radius, major hospitals get 280m)
- Enabled an automation that alerts everyone when someone’s at a hospital for 30+ minutes
The best part? The automation template is completely generic - it automatically adapts when zones are added or removed, and works for any city!
Features
40+ POI Types
- Healthcare: Hospitals, Urgent Care, Clinics, Pharmacies, Dentists, Vets
- Education: Schools, Universities, Daycares
- Transportation: Airports, Train Stations, Gas Stations, EV Charging
- Food & Drink: Restaurants, Fast Food, Cafes, Bars, Grocery Stores
- Services: Banks, Post Offices, Libraries, Hotels
- Public Safety: Police Stations, Fire Stations
- Recreation: Parks, Gyms, Movie Theaters
- And many more!
Dynamic Sizing
For healthcare facilities, zones are automatically sized based on:
Number of hospital beds (if available in OSM)
Building footprint (small clinics vs large complexes)
Emergency status- Result: Small clinics get 105m zones, major medical centers get 280m zones
Automation Ready
The integration includes generic automation templates that work with any POI type and automatically adapt when zones change. No hardcoded zone names!
# Example: Hospital Visit Alert
# Notifies when anyone is at a hospital/urgent care for 30+ minutes
# Automatically discovers all hospital zones - no hardcoding!
automation:
- alias: "Hospital Visit Alert"
trigger:
- platform: template
value_template: >
{% set poi_zones = namespace(ids=[]) %}
{% for sensor in states.sensor | selectattr('attributes.poi_type', 'defined') %}
{% if sensor.attributes.poi_type in ['hospital', 'urgent_care'] %}
{% set poi_zones.ids = poi_zones.ids + sensor.attributes.zone_ids %}
{% endif %}
{% endfor %}
{{ expand(states.person)
| selectattr('state', 'in', poi_zones.ids)
| list | count > 0 }}
for:
minutes: 30
action:
- service: notify.notify
data:
title: "🏥 Healthcare Visit Alert"
message: >
{% set poi_zones = namespace(ids=[]) %}
{% for sensor in states.sensor | selectattr('attributes.poi_type', 'defined') %}
{% if sensor.attributes.poi_type in ['hospital', 'urgent_care'] %}
{% set poi_zones.ids = poi_zones.ids + sensor.attributes.zone_ids %}
{% endif %}
{% endfor %}
{% set people = expand(states.person) | selectattr('state', 'in', poi_zones.ids) | list %}
{% for person in people %}
{{ person.name }} has been at {{ state_attr('zone.' + person.state, 'friendly_name') }} for over 30 minutes.
{% endfor %}
Installation
Via HACS (Recommended)
- Open HACS
- Click the 3 dots (⋮) → “Custom repositories”
- Add:
https://github.com/DEADSEC-SECURITY/ha-poi-zones - Category: Integration
- Search for “POI Zones” and install
- Restart Home Assistant
Configuration
- Go to Settings → Devices & Services
- Click “Add Integration” → Search “POI Zones”
- Enter:
- City: Your city (e.g., “Syracuse, NY”)
- POI Type: Choose from 40+ types
- Search Radius (optional): Distance in km
- Zone Radius (optional): Override default sizing
How It Works
- Geocodes your city using Nominatim
- Queries OpenStreetMap via Overpass API for POIs
- Creates HA zones automatically with intelligent sizing
- Updates weekly to catch new POIs
- Provides sensor data with all POI details for automations
Use Cases
Safety & Awareness
- Alert when kids arrive at/leave school
- Notify when elderly parent visits hospital
- Track time spent at doctor appointments
Convenience
- “Turn on lights when approaching home depot”
- “Start coffee when near favorite cafe”
- “Remind me to pick up prescription when near pharmacy”
Automation Ideas
- School zones → Adjust quiet hours
- Restaurant zones → Suggest splitting bills
- Gas station zones → Log fuel stops
- Park zones → Enable outdoor mode
What You Get
Each integration instance creates:
- Sensor entity showing POI count and details
- Zone entities for each discovered POI
- Sensor attributes with full POI data:
- Names, addresses, coordinates
- Phone numbers, websites, hours
- Zone IDs for easy automation
- Additional metadata (beds, cuisine, etc.)
Data Source
All data comes from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL license):
- Free and open
- Community maintained
- Updated weekly
- Works worldwide
Feedback Wanted!
This is the initial release (v1.0.0). I’d love feedback on:
- Which POI types you find most useful
- Automation ideas and templates
- Zone sizing preferences
- Feature requests
- Bug reports
Links
- GitHub: GitHub - DEADSEC-SECURITY/ha-poi-zones
- Documentation: Full README with all POI types and examples
- Issues: Report bugs or request features
Credits
Data provided by OpenStreetMap contributors. Integration inspired by the need to automate what we were doing manually - creating zones for every hospital, school, and restaurant in town!
Installation: Add https://github.com/DEADSEC-SECURITY/ha-poi-zones as a HACS custom repository
Looking forward to hearing how you use it! What POI types would you want to see added?