What is this Search Area Thing?

What is a Search Area on ValleyLists?

A Search Area on ValleyLists is the geographical area you select as the place in which you will look for whatever you want to find on the site. Your Search Area is defined by one or more ZIP Codes because everything contained on ValleyLists is coded by ZIP Code.

Why does ValleyLists start up with the “Entire Connecticut River Valley” as the Search Area?

Because we don't know where you will want to search when you initially visit ValleyLists, we give you everything and then let you narrow down the Search Area as you wish. 

How do I get a different Search Area?

You can change your Search Area to whatever you want, whenever you want, by clicking on the Change Your Search Area link which is located in the left column of every page in the site. This will take you to the Change Your Search Area page where you may define the Search Area you want.

What are my Search Area choices?

You have the following Search Area choices:

1. Single ZIP Code: If you want a very local search, you can choose a single zip code - like your home zip code or the ZIP Code of a town you are planning to visit while on vacation - and your search results will be focused on that ZIP Code. To select a single ZIP Code, you type in the ZIP Code you want in the "Select one or more ZIP Codes" box.
Note: The "Government Officials and Agencies" and "Emergency Services" portions of ValleyLists will only work with a single ZIP Code Search Area.

2. Multiple Individual ZIP Codes: You can also select a group of individual ZIP Codes. For example, if you are a college student attending school in Amherst, Massachusetts, and you are looking for an apartment in the general area, you might want to search in Amherst and the surrounding towns such as Hadley, Leverett, Shutesbury, Belchertown, and Granby. To select this Search Area, you would type in the ZIP Codes for those towns (01002, 01007, 01033, 01035, 01054, and 01072) in the "Select One or More ZIP Codes" box. It does not matter which order you enter the ZIP Codes into the box.

3. All the ZIP Codes in One or More Counties: To make it easier for you to select a larger Search Area, you can get all of the ZIP Codes in a county by selecting a county from the "Select One or More Counties" box. You can select multiple counties if you wish.

4. All the ZIP Codes in One or More Bioregions: If you want an even larger Search Area, you can get all of the ZIP Codes in a bioregion by selecting a bioregion from the "Select One or More Bioregions" box. You can select multiple bioregions if you wish. The map shows you the bioregions currently served by ValleyLists.com.  Click here to learn more about bioregions.

5. Any Combination of the Above: If the Search Area you want doesn't match county lines or bioregion lines, you may select any combination of individual ZIP Codes, counties and bioregions. For example, you could select the Southern Connecticut River/Springfield Bioregion, plus Hampshire County, Massachusetts, plus five ZIP Codes from southern Franklin County, Massachusetts, along with four ZIP Codes in northern Hartford and Tolland Counties, Connecticut.

How does the Search Area I Pick Affect the Results of My Searches?

Your Search Area affects each part of ValleyLists slightly differently based on how ZIP Codes are used in that area.

1. In the Business and Non-Profit Organization and Group Listings, you will get the businesses, organizations, and groups which serve your Search Area.

2. In the Individual Listings, you will get the Listings created by individuals who live in your Search Area.

3. In the Free Classified Ads, you will get those ads which have been posted by people living in your Search Area.

4. In the Calendar, you will get the events, classes, and activities which are happening in your Search Area.

5. In the Special Lists and On-line Galleries, you will get the businesses and organizations which serve your Search Area and the individuals who live in your Search Area.

6. In the Government Officials and Agencies section, you find get those which serve the single ZIP Code you have entered.