Love knows no bounds, but can you say the same thing about yourself? One of the deciding factors behind relationships is the question of distance: are you willing to travel hundreds of miles through the snow and rain to be with a potential date or are you looking for someone closer who possibly lives on the same block as you? All dating sites offer some kind of search device to see what kind of potential romantic partners live in your area, and the best sites will offer a wider range of choices which are convenient for you.

Of course, you may not have any problems crossing state lines for love, but the inconveniences of bouncing from one geographical region to the other for a coffee meeting goes without saying. Long-distance relationships take time and effort. For casual online dating, (or at least the casual relationships that are developed early on) having to catch a plane to meet a date is a bit ridiculous. Deciding what your regional limits are will be one of the first considerations to keep in mind when you begin searching for profiles. It’s really up to you but the best sites will have a variety of search options so that you won’t be stuck narrowing your search down to people who live in the same country as you. These broader searches will give you little or no idea as to the selection of singles that are actually close enough to you, and it would be a shame to pay a subscription fee only to discover that the site has almost no eligible singles in a 500-mile radius from you. You might have a more liberal idea of what constitutes acceptable traveling time, particularly if you live outside the cities, but some location criteria is still necessary in order to find the right dating site.

Even if the site is especially stingy for non-paying casual users, it will still allow some form of geographical searches so that you have some concept of the variety of choices that are available before you invest any cash. Some sites will allow you to peruse their databases based on city or states. The state option is usually the broadest geographic search option, and the results will frequently be misleading (particularly if the state/region is one of the larger ones such as “Texas” or “Gulf States”). The best sites will have exceedingly specific searches, so keep your eyes open for sites with zip code or city search options. You’ll have a much better idea of what’s available in the immediate vicinity, but keep in mind that the more specific searches which narrow the choices down to less than 100 miles will typically require a membership fee before allowing further selection. The best bet would be to see just how localized the search results are before coughing up with the cash for subscription.

Convenience is everything in this modern world, and there’s no need to hurt yourself in an epic journey to go on a date. While long distance relationships based on text messages and phone calls can be very romantic, sooner or later you’ll want to see what kind of guy/gal you’re committed to and enjoy some physical closeness. Searches for singles in your area is one the most basic features for dating sites, and the best ones will allow you to find a partner who’s within earshot.