Convert shapefile to GeoJSON
Open a zipped shapefile and download one GeoJSON file for web maps, code or any GIS program. Positions are converted to latitude and longitude and every column becomes a property. No signup and nothing to install.
Drop a zipped shapefile here
or choose one from your computer or phone
KML · KMZ · GPX · GeoJSON · Shapefile. A copy is sent to us to improve the viewer and is deleted after one day.
How to convert a shapefile to GeoJSON
1. Open the shapefile
Drop the .zip on the box above, or choose the .shp file together with its .dbf, .prj and .cpg files.
2. Check it on the map
Make sure the shapes land where you expect. Click any of them to see its properties.
3. Download GeoJSON
Click Download GeoJSON. You get one .geojson file with every shape and its data.
Why turn a shapefile into GeoJSON
A shapefile is several files that have to travel together, and its data table limits column names to 10 characters. GeoJSON is one plain text file that web maps, JavaScript libraries and most GIS programs read directly.
The GeoJSON standard, RFC 7946, expects every position as longitude and latitude. Shapefiles often use a UTM zone or a state plane instead, so the converter reads the .prj file and converts each position before writing the GeoJSON.
What the GeoJSON file keeps
One FeatureCollection with every shape from the shapefile, ready for a web map.
Columns as properties
Each column of the data table becomes a property, and numbers and yes or no values stay numbers and true or false.
Several shapefiles in one file
When the zip holds several shapefiles, they all go into one GeoJSON file, and a folder property says which shapefile each feature came from.
Longitude and latitude
Positions from UTM zones, US state planes and national grids such as the British National Grid are converted, and heights are kept as a third value.
Holes and multi-part shapes
Areas with holes become polygons with inner rings, and shapes made of several parts become MultiPolygons or MultiLineStrings.
Other ways to convert a shapefile to GeoJSON
QGIS
Open the .shp file in the free QGIS program, right-click the layer, choose Export, then Save Features As, and pick GeoJSON with EPSG:4326 as the coordinate system.
GDAL on the command line
With GDAL installed, ogr2ogr -f GeoJSON -t_srs EPSG:4326 out.geojson in.shp converts one shapefile and reprojects it in one step.
What happens to your file
The viewer opens the file inside your browser, so it shows up right away. A copy is also sent to us, so we can find and fix files the viewer gets wrong. It is scheduled to be deleted automatically after one day, and until then our team may look at it to improve the viewer. Nothing is added to an account.
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