What is GeoJSON?
GeoJSON is an open standard geospatial data interchange format based on JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). Standardised as RFC 7946 by the Internet Engineering Task Force in 2016, GeoJSON encodes geographic features — points, lines, polygons, and multi-geometry collections — alongside arbitrary attribute properties in a single, self-contained text file.
Unlike binary formats such as Shapefile, a GeoJSON file is plain text that can be opened in any text editor, version-controlled with Git, and consumed directly by web browsers without server-side processing. This makes it the lingua franca for web mapping libraries like Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, OpenLayers, and the Google Maps JavaScript API.
GeoJSON uses the WGS 84 coordinate reference system (EPSG:4326) by default, with coordinates expressed as longitude-latitude decimal degree pairs. Elevation is supported as an optional third coordinate value.
Key Features of GeoJSON
- Human-readable: Plain JSON text that is easy to inspect, debug, and edit manually.
- Web-native: Can be fetched via HTTP, parsed with
JSON.parse(), and rendered instantly on map canvases. - Rich geometry support: Point, MultiPoint, LineString, MultiLineString, Polygon, MultiPolygon, and GeometryCollection types.
- Feature properties: Arbitrary key-value attributes attached to each geometry through the Feature object.
- FeatureCollection: Group multiple features into a single dataset for batch rendering or analysis.
- No external dependencies: Single-file format with no companion files required (unlike Shapefile).
- Streaming-friendly: Can be processed line-by-line with newline-delimited GeoJSON (GeoJSON-seq).
Convert FROM GeoJSON
Export your GeoJSON data to other popular geospatial formats.
Convert TO GeoJSON
Import data from other geospatial formats into GeoJSON.
Common Use Cases for GeoJSON
Web Mapping Applications
GeoJSON is the default data layer format for Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, and OpenLayers. Load boundaries, markers, and route geometries directly from API responses.
REST & GraphQL APIs
Return geospatial query results as GeoJSON FeatureCollections that clients can render without additional parsing or transformation.
Data Journalism & Visualization
Choropleth maps, election results, and demographic dashboards frequently rely on GeoJSON boundary files for D3.js and Observable visualizations.
Version-Controlled Geodata
Because GeoJSON is plain text, teams can track boundary changes, review diffs, and merge updates using standard Git workflows.
Serverless & Edge Computing
Lightweight GeoJSON payloads are ideal for serverless functions and edge workers that perform spatial lookups without heavy GIS dependencies.
Mobile & IoT Telemetry
Encode GPS tracks, sensor locations, and geofences in a format that is trivially parsed on any platform with a JSON library.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GeoJSON and JSON?
GeoJSON is a specialised subset of JSON. While any valid GeoJSON file is also valid JSON, GeoJSON enforces a specific schema: every object must have a type field, geometries follow the RFC 7946 coordinate conventions, and features carry a properties object for attribute data.
Can GeoJSON handle large datasets?
GeoJSON works well for datasets up to tens of megabytes. For very large datasets, consider using newline-delimited GeoJSON (GeoJSON-seq), TopoJSON (which deduplicates shared boundaries), or converting to a binary format like FlatGeobuf or GeoParquet for streaming.
Does GeoJSON support coordinate reference systems other than WGS 84?
RFC 7946 specifies WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) as the only supported CRS. If your source data uses a projected coordinate system, you should reproject to WGS 84 before encoding as GeoJSON.
How do I validate a GeoJSON file?
Use online tools like geojsonlint.com or the geojson-validation npm package. Many GIS applications (QGIS, ArcGIS) also validate GeoJSON on import.
Is the GeoJSON conversion performed on a server?
No. MapfileConverter runs all conversions entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Your files never leave your device, ensuring complete privacy.
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