A method for representing linear features in a location content management system, comprising: identifying a number and location of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) needed to uniquely define a linear feature, wherein the linear feature is one of a polyline, wherein the polyline is a continuous line comprising two or more straight line segments and defined by three or more routing points, and a polygon, and wherein the polygon represents a closed path comprising three or more straight line segments and defined by three or more routing points; running a matching routine to determine if the linear feature has been previously assigned a linear location code; wherein if there is a match, then a unique linear location code is not created; otherwise assigning a unique linear location code to the linear feature; storing data for the identified routing points with the unique linear location code; and providing the unique linear location code to users of the location content management system for obtaining location content associated with the linear feature; wherein the matching routine includes the step of determining whether the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) of the linear feature is the same as the number of routing points associated with an existing linear location code having existing routing points; when the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) of the linear feature has the same number of routing points as an existing linear location code, the matching routine uses a predetermined radial distance around each of the existing routing points to identify a match by determining whether the distance between each respective routing point and each existing routing point is less than the predetermined radial distance; and when the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) is not the same, the matching routine uses the predetermined radial distance around each of the existing routing points to identify which of the routing points match corresponding existing routing points by determining whether the distance between each respective routing point and each existing routing point is less than the predetermined radial distance, the matching routine then determines whether the routing points that do not match existing routing points of the existing linear location code are within a predetermined perpendicular distance from one of the line segments between two existing routing points and if all the extra points are within the predetermined perpendicular distance, then these points are considered to be intermediate points not necessary to define a linear location code, and therefore a match between the linear feature and a previously assigned unique linear location code is found. identifying a number and location of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) needed to uniquely define a linear feature, wherein the linear feature is one of a polyline, wherein the polyline is a continuous line comprising two or more straight line segments and defined by three or more routing points, and a polygon, and wherein the polygon represents a closed path comprising three or more straight line segments and defined by three or more routing points; running a matching routine to determine if the linear feature has been previously assigned a linear location code; wherein if there is a match, then a unique linear location code is not created; otherwise assigning a unique linear location code to the linear feature; storing data for the identified routing points with the unique linear location code; and providing the unique linear location code to users of the location content management system for obtaining location content associated with the linear feature; wherein the matching routine includes the step of determining whether the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) of the linear feature is the same as the number of routing points associated with an existing linear location code having existing routing points; when the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) of the linear feature has the same number of routing points as an existing linear location code, the matching routine uses a predetermined radial distance around each of the existing routing points to identify a match by determining whether the distance between each respective routing point and each existing routing point is less than the predetermined radial distance; and when the number of routing points (204, 206, 402, 403, 405, 406) is not the same, the matching routine uses the predetermined radial distance around each of the existing routing points to identify which of the routing points match corresponding existing routing points by determining whether the distance between each respective routing point and each existing routing point is less than the predetermined radial distance, the matching routine then determines whether the routing points that do not match existing routing points of the existing linear location code are within a predetermined perpendicular distance from one of the line segments between two existing routing points and if all the extra points are within the predetermined perpendicular distance, then these points are considered to be intermediate points not necessary to define a linear location code, and therefore a match between the linear feature and a previously assigned unique linear location code is found.