The chromosomal locations of the human and mouse syndecan genes have been shown to associate with the corresponding locations of members of the myc gene family, proto-oncogenes that code for transcription factors. Here, we demonstrate the precise localization and order of the human syndecan-1 and N-myc genes using fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques that provide different levels of resolution. By visualizing the actual centromere-telomere orientation of these two genes, the human syndecan-1 gene is localized to 2p23-24, just centromeric to the N-myc gene at 2p24.1.