diff --git a/lib/inaturalist_api.js b/lib/inaturalist_api.js
index 90e2b4ed..950f88c8 100644
--- a/lib/inaturalist_api.js
+++ b/lib/inaturalist_api.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+require( "intl" );
 const _ = require( "lodash" );
 const jwt = require( "jsonwebtoken" );
 const fs = require( "fs" );
@@ -666,8 +667,40 @@ InaturalistAPI.lookupPlaceMiddleware = ( req, res, next ) => {
 };
 
 InaturalistAPI.lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware = ( req, res, next ) => {
-  InaturalistAPI.lookupInstanceMiddleware( req, res, next,
-    "preferred_place_id", Place.findByID, "preferredPlace" );
+  if ( req.query.preferred_place_id ) {
+    return void InaturalistAPI.lookupInstanceMiddleware( req, res, next,
+      "preferred_place_id", Place.findByID, "preferredPlace" );
+  }
+  // lookup by locality code from locale
+  let locale = req.userSession ? req.userSession.locale : null;
+  if ( req.query.locale ) {
+    ( { locale } = req.query );
+  }
+  if ( locale ) {
+    let localeObj;
+    try {
+      localeObj = new Intl.Locale( locale );
+    } catch ( err ) {
+      // continue if locale is invalid
+      return void next( );
+    }
+    const localeRegionCode = localeObj.region;
+    if ( !localeRegionCode ) {
+      return void next( );
+    }
+    // lookup the place by code and admin-level = country
+    return void Place.findByLocaleCode( localeRegionCode ).then( obj => {
+      // no error if none of the instances exist
+      // locale codes are not always same as country codes
+      if ( _.isEmpty( obj ) ) {
+        return void next( );
+      }
+      req.inat = req.inat || { };
+      req.inat.preferredPlace = obj;
+      return void next( );
+    } ).catch( next );
+  }
+  next( );
 };
 
 InaturalistAPI.lookupUnobservedByUserMiddleware = ( req, res, next ) => {
diff --git a/lib/models/place.js b/lib/models/place.js
index cd2b6830..bc484100 100644
--- a/lib/models/place.js
+++ b/lib/models/place.js
@@ -17,6 +17,23 @@ const Place = class Place extends Model {
     return response.hits.hits[0] ? response.hits.hits[0]._source : null;
   }
 
+  static async findByLocaleCode( code ) {
+    const { rows } = await pgClient.connection.query( "SELECT id, name, ancestry FROM "
+      + "places WHERE UPPER(code) = $1 AND admin_level = 0", [code] );
+    if ( !rows.length ) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    const result = rows[0];
+    // transform ancestry field to ancestor_place_ids
+    let ancestorPlaceIds = null;
+    if ( result.ancestry ) {
+      ancestorPlaceIds = result.ancestry ? result.ancestry.split( "/" ).map( str => parseInt( str, 10 ) ) : [];
+      ancestorPlaceIds.push( result.id );
+    }
+    const response = { id: result.id, name: result.name, ancestor_place_ids: ancestorPlaceIds };
+    return response;
+  }
+
   static async assignToObject( object ) {
     const ids = _.keys( object );
     if ( ids.length === 0 ) { return; }
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 5ba36340..07bd4cc6 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3041,6 +3041,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "intl": {
+      "version": "1.2.5",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/intl/-/intl-1.2.5.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-giRKIZDE5Bn4Nx9ao02qNCDiq94="
+    },
     "invariant": {
       "version": "2.2.4",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/invariant/-/invariant-2.2.4.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index b940c91c..90d231e9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
     "handlebars": "^4.7.6",
     "hapi-joi-to-swagger": "github:inaturalist/hapi-joi-to-swagger#0ec177ccc9f8306f6fbcc7066174313e593c0600",
     "inaturalistjs": "github:inaturalist/inaturalistjs#bfce66c2927a756d654454362bc67fc3892ba7a3",
+    "intl": "^1.2.5",
     "jsonwebtoken": "^8.3.0",
     "lodash": "^4.17.15",
     "lodash.merge": "^4.6.2",
diff --git a/schema/fixtures.js b/schema/fixtures.js
index e44e5076..b2ba20ce 100644
--- a/schema/fixtures.js
+++ b/schema/fixtures.js
@@ -1851,6 +1851,19 @@
         "name": "a-place-in-a-place",
         "display_name": "A Place In A Place",
         "ancestry": "432/433"
+      },
+      {
+        "id": 511,
+        "name": "locale-place",
+        "code": "LP",
+        "admin_level": 0,
+        "ancestry": "111"
+      },
+      {
+        "id": 512,
+        "name": "locale-place-admin-level-1",
+        "code": "LPA",
+        "admin_level": 1
       }
     ],
     "preferences": [
diff --git a/test/inaturalist_api.js b/test/inaturalist_api.js
index c55dba82..7faca408 100644
--- a/test/inaturalist_api.js
+++ b/test/inaturalist_api.js
@@ -44,4 +44,38 @@ describe( "InaturalistAPI", ( ) => {
       } );
     } );
   } );
+
+  describe( "lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware", ( ) => {
+    it( "looks up preferred_place by preferred_place_id", done => {
+      const req = { query: { preferred_place_id: 1, locale: "zh-LP"}, inat: {} };
+      InaturalistAPI.lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware( req, null, () => {
+        expect( req.inat.preferredPlace.id ).to.eq( 1 );
+        done( );
+      } );
+    } );
+
+    it( "looks up preferred_place by locale", done => {
+      const req = { query: { locale: "zh-LP" }, inat: {} };
+      InaturalistAPI.lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware( req, null, () => {
+        expect( req.inat.preferredPlace.id ).to.eq( 511 );
+        done( );
+      } );
+    } );
+
+    it( "does not set preferred_place if locale is malformed", done => {
+      const req = { query: { locale: "zh-LP-LP" }, inat: {} };
+      InaturalistAPI.lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware( req, null, () => {
+        expect( req.inat.preferredPlace ).to.be.undefined;
+        done( );
+      } );
+    } );
+
+    it( "does not set preferred_place if country is not found", done => {
+      const req = { query: { locale: "zh-LPB" } };
+      InaturalistAPI.lookupPreferredPlaceMiddleware( req, null, () => {
+        expect( req.inat ).to.be.undefined;
+        done( );
+      } );
+    } );
+  } );
 } );
diff --git a/test/models/place.js b/test/models/place.js
index 7c6458b6..995bbf2a 100644
--- a/test/models/place.js
+++ b/test/models/place.js
@@ -38,6 +38,27 @@ describe( "Place", ( ) => {
     } );
   } );
 
+  describe( "findByLocaleCode", ( ) => {
+    it( "returns a place given a code", async ( ) => {
+      const p = await Place.findByLocaleCode( "LP" );
+      expect( p.id ).to.eq( 511 );
+      expect( p.name ).to.eq( "locale-place" );
+      expect( p.ancestor_place_ids.length ).to.eq( 2 );
+      expect( p.ancestor_place_ids[0] ).to.eq( 111 );
+      expect( p.ancestor_place_ids[1] ).to.eq( 511 );
+    } );
+
+    it( "returns null if admin_level is not country", async ( ) => {
+      const p = await Place.findByLocaleCode( "LPA" );
+      expect( p ).to.eq( null );
+    } );
+
+    it( "returns null given an unknown code", async ( ) => {
+      const p = await Place.findByLocaleCode( "US" );
+      expect( p ).to.eq( null );
+    } );
+  } );
+
   describe( "assignToObject", ( ) => {
     it( "assigns place instances to objects", done => {
       const o = { 1: { }, 123: { }, 432: { } };