Using Icon Fonts as Markers in Google Maps V3 - google-maps-api-3

Question

I was wondering whether it is possible to use icon font icons (e.g. Font Awesome) as markers in Google Maps V3 to replace the default marker. To show/insert them in a HTML or PHP document the code for the marker would be:
<i class="icon-map-marker"></i>

Answer 1

I just had the same problem - decided to do a quick and dirty conversion and host on github.
https://github.com/nathan-muir/fontawesome-markers
You can manually include the JS file, or use npm install fontawesome-markers or bower install fontawesome-markers.
Just include the javascript file fontawesome-markers.min.js and you can use them like so:
new google.maps.Marker({
map: map,
icon: {
path: fontawesome.markers.EXCLAMATION,
scale: 0.5,
strokeWeight: 0.2,
strokeColor: 'black',
strokeOpacity: 1,
fillColor: '#f8ae5f',
fillOpacity: 0.7
},
clickable: false,
position: new google.maps.LatLng(lat, lng)
});
Edit (April-2016): There's now packages for v4.2 -> v4.6.1

Answer 2

I know this is an old post, but just in case you can use the MarkerLabel object now:
var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: location,
map: map,
label: {
fontFamily: 'Fontawesome',
text: '\uf299'
}
});
Worked for me.
.
Reference Google Maps Maker

Answer 3

Here's my attempt at the same thing (using "markerwithlabel" utility library) before I realised Nathan did the same more elegantly above: http://jsfiddle.net/f3xchecf/
function initialize() {
var myLatLng = new google.maps.LatLng( 50, 50 ),
myOptions = {
zoom: 4,
center: myLatLng,
mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP
},
map = new google.maps.Map( document.getElementById( 'map-canvas' ), myOptions ),
marker = new MarkerWithLabel({
position: myLatLng,
draggable: true,
raiseOnDrag: true,
icon: ' ',
map: map,
labelContent: '<i class="fa fa-send fa-3x" style="color:rgba(153,102,102,0.8);"></i>',
labelAnchor: new google.maps.Point(22, 50)
});
marker.setMap( map );
}
initialize();

Answer 4

The light weight solution
fontawesome-markers: 480kb
markerwithlabel: 25kb
To avoid these dependencies, simple go to fontawesome-markers, find the path for the icon you want, and include it as follows:
var icon = {
path: "M27.648-41.399q0-3.816-2.7-6.516t-6.516-2.7-6.516 2.7-2.7 6.516 2.7 6.516 6.516 2.7 6.516-2.7 2.7-6.516zm9.216 0q0 3.924-1.188 6.444l-13.104 27.864q-.576 1.188-1.71 1.872t-2.43.684-2.43-.684-1.674-1.872l-13.14-27.864q-1.188-2.52-1.188-6.444 0-7.632 5.4-13.032t13.032-5.4 13.032 5.4 5.4 13.032z",
fillColor: '#E32831',
fillOpacity: 1,
strokeWeight: 0,
scale: 0.65
}
marker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: myLatlng,
map: map,
icon: icon
});

Answer 5

In a modern browser one can use the canvas in order to render the font to png, and then use the data URI scheme:
function getIcon(glyph, color) {
var canvas, ctx;
canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
canvas.width = canvas.height = 20;
ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
if (color) {
ctx.strokeStyle = color;
}
ctx.font = '20px FontAwesome';
ctx.fillText(glyph, 0, 16);
return canvas.toDataURL();
}
For example: getIcon("\uf001") for the music note.

Answer 6

If you want the awesomefont MARKER with an awesomefont ICON INSIDE:
1. copy the SVG path of the awesomefont marker (click download and copy the SVG path) and use it as icon (remember to credit the authors, see license).
Then you can change it's color to anything you want.
2. As label you only insert the awesome font icon code and the color you want.
html,
body,
#map {
height: 100%;
width: 100%;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
<script src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://use.fontawesome.com/releases/v5.3.1/css/all.css" integrity="sha384-mzrmE5qonljUremFsqc01SB46JvROS7bZs3IO2EmfFsd15uHvIt+Y8vEf7N7fWAU" crossorigin="anonymous">
<div id="map"></div>
<script>
function init() {
var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
zoom: 6,
center: new google.maps.LatLng(51.509865, -0.118092)
});
var icon = {
path: "M172.268 501.67C26.97 291.031 0 269.413 0 192 0 85.961 85.961 0 192 0s192 85.961 192 192c0 77.413-26.97 99.031-172.268 309.67-9.535 13.774-29.93 13.773-39.464 0z", //SVG path of awesomefont marker
fillColor: '#333333', //color of the marker
fillOpacity: 1,
strokeWeight: 0,
scale: 0.09, //size of the marker, careful! this scale also affects anchor and labelOrigin
anchor: new google.maps.Point(200,510), //position of the icon, careful! this is affected by scale
labelOrigin: new google.maps.Point(205,190) //position of the label, careful! this is affected by scale
}
var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: map.getCenter(),
map: map,
icon: icon,
label: {
fontFamily: "'Font Awesome 5 Free'",
text: '\uf0f9', //icon code
fontWeight: '900', //careful! some icons in FA5 only exist for specific font weights
color: '#FFFFFF', //color of the text inside marker
},
});
}
google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', init);
</script>

Answer 7

It is possible to import the svgs directly from #fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons and use the Icon Interface.
import { faMapMarkerAlt } from "#fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons";
function initMap(): void {
const center = { lat: 0, lng: 0 };
const map = new google.maps.Map(
document.getElementById("map") as HTMLElement,
{
zoom: 9,
center,
}
);
new google.maps.Marker({
position: { lat: 0, lng: 0 },
map,
icon: {
path: faMapMarkerAlt.icon[4] as string,
fillColor: "#0000ff",
fillOpacity: 1,
anchor: new google.maps.Point(
faMapMarkerAlt.icon[0] / 2, // width
faMapMarkerAlt.icon[1] // height
),
strokeWeight: 1,
strokeColor: "#ffffff",
scale: 0.075,
},
});
}
Can try it at: https://codesandbox.io/embed/github/googlemaps/js-samples/tree/sample-marker-modern

Answer 8

I've put together a simple JS library that generates nice SVG markers using the Font Awesome icons. https://github.com/jawj/MapMarkerAwesome

Answer 9

All I seen looks good, but they would not work for me; However, this worked smoothly and is small.
Use a link out to wherever your font awesome library is.
The normal marker javascript code is fine and add the icon attribute.
// The marker
var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
position: uluru,
icon: 'https://cdn.mapmarker.io/api/v1/pin?icon=fa-truck&size=50&hoffset=0&color=%23FFFFFF&background=%23FF7500&voffset=-1',
map: map,
});
}
You can change the font awesome icon, position, color, etc. right there in the icon: attribute.