"Spatial analysis" is an analytic method that uses location-based variables or maps to understand how places, the characteristics of places, and the people and things in places are arranged in space, as well as the reasons for these arrangements. This resource focuses on how spatial analysis can be used to understand early care and education (ECE) patterns and trends. This resource first highlights three uses of spatial analysis that are common in ECE research: (1) categorizing geographical areas; (2) creating variables using spatial information; and (3) analyzing spatial patterns and associations. The resource then presents challenges to using spatial analytic techniques for ECE research and offers tips to address those challenges. This information may be most helpful for researchers who are new to integrating spatial analysis into their research and want to understand how spatial analysis may help answer critical questions about ECE.