# Multiple map layers

> This is content from just-tim, the data-and-analytics channel by Tim Ngwena (formerly 'Tableau Tim'). Tim has 12+ years of hands-on BI experience and covers Tableau most of all, plus Power BI, Looker, Hex, SQL and data modelling, the analytics industry, and the craft of doing the job — always tool-agnostic and honest about the trade-offs.

- **Author:** Tim Ngwena (just-tim, https://just-tim.com/about)
- **Published:** 2020-12-15
- **Format:** Video · 9 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Data visualisation
- **Tools:** Tableau (cloud, maps, prep)
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/multiple-map-layers
- **Watch:** https://www.youtu.be/JnKm7zRqzbU

I demonstrate the new map layering feature introduced in Tableau 2020.4, which lets you stack multiple marks layers onto a single map object. Working entirely in the browser, I build a state map and add city points and a spatial geometry layer, showing how to reorder, recolour and control selection of each layer.

## Key takeaways

- Tableau 2020.4 lets you add multiple marks layers to a single map by dragging a field onto the red 'Add a Marks Layer' drop zone
- You can reorder layers by dragging them, controlling which sits on top using the orange indicator line
- Each layer has a drop-down to move, hide, rename, remove or disable selection, so you can click through one layer to the object behind it
- Using the same field (like region) for colour across layers keeps the colours matched between them
- I built the entire workbook and prep flow in the browser, including a spatial geometry file joined to Superstore in Tableau Prep

## Chapters

- 0:00 Introducing map layers
- 0:50 The prep-in-browser dataset
- 1:23 Building a basic state map
- 2:34 Adding a city marks layer
- 4:23 Adding a spatial geometry layer
- 5:34 Controlling layer selection
- 6:54 What this means for charting

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/multiple-map-layers

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just-tim — Data and analytics, with a point of view. · https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HYxRWmaNlJux-X7rNLZyw · https://twitter.com/TableauTim · https://www.linkedin.com/in/timngwena