Get the distance between two postal codes with Google Maps

  // The google maps endpoint.

  $endpoint = '<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/api/directions/json?';<br />

&#10">http://maps.google.com/maps/api/directions/json?';<br />

&#10</a>;  // The paramaters we need to pass to Google Maps.

  $params = array(

    'origin' => ORIGIN_POSTAL_CODE,

    'destination' => DESTINATION_POSTAL_CODE,

    'mode' => 'driving',

    'sensor' => 'false',

  );

  // Fetch and decode JSON string into a PHP object

  $json = file_get_contents($endpoint . http_build_query($params));

  $data = json_decode($json);

  if ($data->status === 'OK') {

    // Retrieve the first available route.

    $route = $data->routes[0];

    // Get the distance.

    $distance = $route->legs[0]->distance->text;

    // Break the distance into value/unit variables

    list($miles, $unit) = explode(' ', $distance);

    // Remove any commas.

    $miles = str_replace(',', '', $miles);

    // Cast the value as a floating point number to do any comparisons.

    if ((float)$miles > 2250) {

      print 'TRUE';

    }

  }