Google today opened the map of the United States in Google Map Maker for users to add their expert local knowledge directly. Google Map Maker is a product that enables people to add to and update the map for locations around the world. Google said that Map Maker users have mapped entire cities, road networks and universities that were never previously recorded online. These contributions have been incorporated into Google Maps and Google Earth.

Google today has made available the Google Map Maker tool to U.S. residents.

"You know your neighborhood or hometown best, and with Google Map Maker you can ensure the places you care about are richly represented on the map," said Lalitesh Katragadda, Product Manager, Google Map Maker.

For example, users can fix the name of their local pizza parlor, or add a description of their favorite book store.

Google is asking users to help make the map complete in other ways as well, such as marking the bike lanes in their town or adding all of the buildings on their university campus so they appear in Google Maps.

To confirm Map Maker user contributions are accurate, each edit will be reviewed by Google. After approval, the edits will appear in Google Maps within minutes, speeding up the time it takes for online maps to reflect the often-changing physical world.

In addition to opening Map Maker for the United States, Google has added some new features for users globally. Users can now get a street-level perspective on places with Street View imagery directly in Map Maker, see and edit all points of interest, and find exactly what they’re looking for with advanced search options such as displaying all railroad tracks.

To start mapping now visit mapmaker.google.com.