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Convert KML to GeoJSON Online — Free GIS Converter

Convert KML files from Google Earth to GeoJSON instantly in your browser — no software install required.

Updated May 2026

Convert KML files exported from Google Earth, Google Maps, or ArcGIS into GeoJSON — the standard format for web mapping libraries like Leaflet, Mapbox, and OpenLayers.

Why convert KML to GeoJSON?

KML is the native format for Google Earth and carries rich styling information — placemark icons, line colors, polygon fills — but most web mapping stacks don't read KML natively. GeoJSON is the lingua franca of the modern web map: Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, OpenLayers, and Deck.gl all accept it without plugins. GitHub even renders GeoJSON files as interactive maps. Converting KML to GeoJSON lets you drop your spatial data directly into any JavaScript mapping project, REST API, or cloud pipeline without additional middleware.

Both formats are locked to WGS 84 (EPSG:4326), so coordinate values transfer exactly — no reprojection math required. The main trade-off is that KML styling attributes (icon URLs, line widths, polygon opacity) are not part of the GeoJSON spec, so those properties are either dropped or folded into a style property depending on the converter.

Why use geodata.plus

  • Free tier: convert up to 3 files per month at no cost
  • Automatic format and CRS detection — no manual configuration
  • Optional reprojection to any EPSG code before download
  • Runs entirely in the browser — nothing installed on your machine
  • Encrypted upload (TLS); files stored in Cloudflare R2, automatically deleted after 2 days (free) or 7 days (Pro)

How it works

  1. Upload your KML file to geodata.plus
  2. geodata.plus detects the format and confirms the WGS 84 coordinate system
  3. Select GeoJSON as the output format
  4. Download your .geojson file — ready for Leaflet, Mapbox, or any GeoJSON-aware tool

KML format

KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML-based vector format originally developed by Keyhole Inc. and later adopted by Google for Google Earth. It stores geometry, attributes, and rich styling in a single .kml file. KML is always in WGS 84 coordinates per the OGC specification and supports placemarks (points), paths (linestrings), and polygons.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .kml | | Type | Vector, single-file XML | | Coordinate system | WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) only | | Geometry types | Point, LineString, Polygon, MultiGeometry | | Common software | Google Earth, Google Maps, ArcGIS, QGIS |

GeoJSON format

GeoJSON is a JSON-based open standard for encoding geographic data structures. Defined by RFC 7946, it mandates WGS 84 coordinates and supports all standard geometry types. Its plain-text nature makes it trivially readable in any text editor, diffable in Git, and parseable in every major programming language without a GIS library.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .geojson or .json | | Type | Vector, single-file JSON | | Coordinate system | WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) only | | Geometry types | Point, LineString, Polygon, Multi* variants, GeometryCollection | | Common software | Leaflet, Mapbox, OpenLayers, ArcGIS, QGIS, GitHub |

Frequently asked questions

Will KML styles (colors, icons) carry over to GeoJSON? GeoJSON has no built-in styling specification, so KML style elements like <Style> and <IconStyle> are not preserved in the standard output. Some converters save style hints as custom properties, but your mapping library will ultimately control visual appearance via its own style rules. If you need to retain styles, consider converting to KMZ and keeping Google Earth as the viewer, or apply styles programmatically in your mapping framework.

My KML has nested folders and NetworkLinks — what happens? geodata.plus flattens KML folder hierarchies into a single feature collection. NetworkLinks (external KML references) are not fetched; only geometry embedded directly in the uploaded file is converted. If your KML uses NetworkLinks extensively, download the linked KML files separately and convert each one.

Can I convert KMZ (zipped KML) files? KMZ files are ZIP archives containing a doc.kml and optional image assets. geodata.plus accepts KMZ uploads, extracts the primary KML document, and converts the geometry. Embedded image overlays (GroundOverlay) are not included in the GeoJSON output since GeoJSON is a purely vector format.

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