mydb=# SELECT county FROM countyp020 WHERE distance(the_geom, 'POINT(-122.18 46.20)') = 0; county ----------------- Skamania County (1 row) mydb=# SELECT county FROM countyp020 WHERE distance(the_geom, 'LINESTRING(-122.18 46.20,-122.00 45.00)') = 0; county ------------------ Skamania County Multnomah County Clackamas County (3 rows)