Google Maps Display:None Problem

I ran into this same problem today and eventually found this at the official Google Maps Javascript API V3 Reference:

Developers should trigger this event on the map when the div changes size: google.maps.event.trigger(map, 'resize') .

As display:none is equivalent to leaving the <div> with size 0, changing it to display:block becomes in fact a change of size, making therefore necessary to trigger the map resize event.

Worked like a charm for me.

UPDATE 2018-05-22

With a new renderer release in version 3.32 of Maps JavaScript API the resize event is no longer a part of Map class.

The documentation states

When the map is resized, the map center is fixed

  • The full-screen control now preserves center.

  • There is no longer any need to trigger the resize event manually.

source: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/new-renderer

google.maps.event.trigger(map, "resize"); doesn't have any effect starting from version 3.32


This problems also happens with the jquery tabs, instead of applying "display:none", you can try hidding the map in this way:

Add the following styles when you are trying to hide the map, instead of using display:none

position: absolute;
left: -100%;

You can also add transitions like: transition: left 1s ease;

You can try with google event listener triggering it after you display the map:

<script type="text/javascript">
    var map; //I placed here the map variable so other functions can see it.
    var latlng = new google.maps.LatLng(-27.999673,153.42855); 
    // in order to center again the map...
    function initialize() {

        var myOptions = {
            zoom: 15,
            center: latlng,
            mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP,
            mapTypeControl: true,
            mapTypeControlOptions: {
                style: google.maps.MapTypeControlStyle.DROPDOWN_MENU
            }
        };

        map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map_canvas"),myOptions);

        var contentString = 'blah';

        var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
            content: contentString
        });

        var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
            position: latlng, 
            map: map
        });

        google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
            infowindow.open(map,marker);
        });
    }

    google.maps.event.addDomListener(window, 'load', initialize);
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
    function toggleDiv1(viewmap){
        if(document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display == 'block'){
            document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display = 'none';
        }else{
            document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display = 'block';
            //here is where your map is being displayed again, try here
            // to trigger the resize event.
            google.maps.event.trigger(map, 'resize');
            map.setCenter(latlng);
        }
    }
    function toggleDiv2(hidemap){
        if(document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display == 'none'){
            document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display = 'block';
        }else{
            document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display = 'none';
        }
    }
</script>

The problem with size of the map is that it needs to know the size of the div that it is rendering to. At the moment you are initializing a map on document load when your div is hidden so the map cannot calculate its size correctly - to solve this problem you simply need to initialize it first time you show the div (not onload).

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 TRANSITIONAL//EN">
<html>
    <head>
        <title></title>
        <style type="text/css">
            #viewmap {
                position:relative;
                width:944px;
                float:left;
                display:none;
            }
            #hidemap {
                position:relative;
                width:944px;
                float:left;
                display:block;
            }
            #map_canvas {
                position:relative;
                float:left;
                width:944px;
                height:300px;
            }
        </style>
        <script type="text/javascript"
            src="http://maps.google.com/maps/api/js?v=3.2&sensor=false">
        </script>
        <script type="text/javascript">
        //your global map object
        var map = null;
            function initialize() {
                var latlng = new google.maps.LatLng(-27.999673,153.42855);
                var myOptions = {
                    zoom: 15,
                    center: latlng,
                    mapTypeId: google.maps.MapTypeId.ROADMAP,
                    mapTypeControl: true,
                    mapTypeControlOptions: {
                        style: google.maps.MapTypeControlStyle.DROPDOWN_MENU
                    }
                };

                map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById("map_canvas"),myOptions);

                var contentString = 'blah';

                var infowindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow({
                    content: contentString
                });

                var marker = new google.maps.Marker({
                    position: latlng, 
                    map: map
                });

                google.maps.event.addListener(marker, 'click', function() {
                    infowindow.open(map,marker);
                });

            }


            function toggleDiv1(viewmap){
                if(document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display == 'block'){
                    document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display = 'none';
                }else{
                    document.getElementById(viewmap).style.display = 'block';
                    //check if map object exists (it is created by you initialize function), if not initialize it
                    if (!map) {
                    initialize();

                    }
                }
            }
            function toggleDiv2(hidemap){
                if(document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display == 'none'){
                    document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display = 'block';
                }else{
                    document.getElementById(hidemap).style.display = 'none';
                }
            }
        </script>
    </head>
    <body>
        <div id="viewmap">
            <a href="#" onmousedown="toggleDiv1('viewmap'); toggleDiv2('hidemap');">Hide map</a>
            <div id="map_canvas"></div>
        </div>
        <div id="hidemap">
            <a href="#" onmousedown="toggleDiv1('viewmap'); toggleDiv2('hidemap');">View map</a>
        </div>
    </body>
</html>