A location detection system and method with fingerprinting including defining nodes in an area, the area being associated with field devices and a target device; determining expected signal strengths from the field devices at the nodes; measuring actual signal strengths from the field devices at the target device for each of the field devices in communication with the target device; designating as valid nodes the nodes having the expected signal strength for a particular field device that is greater than or equal to the actual signal strength for a particular field device; and determining at least one of the valid nodes for which the actual signal strengths for the field devices agree with the expected signal strengths for the field devices at the at least one of the valid nodes.