Convert GPX to KMZ for a single compressed file of your route that opens in Google Earth on any device. Conversion and compression run inside the tab; your movements never leave the machine that recorded them.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No GPX file to hand? Download a sample GPX file (100 points) and drop it above to see the conversion.
Every format stores different things, so a conversion is never perfectly loss-free. Here is exactly what carries over when you convert GPX to KMZ, and what to watch for.
| What | GPX → KMZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Kept | Points, lines and polygons are preserved exactly, including multi-part shapes. |
| Attributes | Kept | Every column and full field name moves from GPX into KMZ untouched. |
| Styling & labels | Changes | KMZ supports styling; features are written with clean default styling and a name label you can restyle in Google Earth. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | KMZ is defined in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), so data is reprojected to lon/lat on the way out. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | 3D Z values carry from GPX into KMZ wherever the source records them. |
| File structure | Kept | One compact .kmz (a zipped KML), easy to email and quick to open in Google Earth. |
GPX is what your Garmin, running watch, or app like Strava and Komoot spits out after a hike or ride. It records waypoints, routes, and tracks, but it is not built for pretty presentation. KMZ is. So people convert GPX to KMZ to hand a finished trip to someone in Google Earth. A KMZ bundles the track with custom icons and ground overlays into one small compressed file. That makes it easy to email a route, drape it over satellite imagery, or share an annotated tour. In short, GPX captures the outing and KMZ packages it for viewing.
GPX is already defined in WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), so no guessing is needed on the way in.
KMZ is defined in WGS84 (EPSG:4326), so the output is reprojected to longitude/latitude, exactly what Google Earth and web maps expect. A quick CRS check before you download saves the classic "my GPX data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
GPX carries limited attributes, so any rich fields from your device may already be simplified before they reach KMZ. Also, KMZ is really a ZIP archive with a KML inside, so the output arrives compressed. Do not rename the file to .kml and expect it to open. Google Earth wants the .kmz extension intact. Both formats already sit in WGS84, so your coordinates stay put with no reprojection surprise.
GPX files typically come out of Garmin, Strava, Komoot, QGIS, GPSBabel. Once you convert to KMZ, the file opens in Google Earth Pro and Google Earth for web by a simple double-click, plus QGIS and ArcGIS Pro. The KMZ output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
A GPX file is what your GPS watch or handheld saved after a hike or ride. It records waypoints, routes and track logs in WGS84. KMZ is the packaged form Google Earth expects, so this conversion turns a raw recording into something you can double-click and view over satellite imagery. Track points become a connected path, waypoints become placemarks, and the whole thing arrives zipped as one tidy file you can email or hand off.
Yes. GPX waypoints, routes, and tracks become distinct placemarks and paths in the KML inside your KMZ, so Google Earth shows them as separate items you can toggle.
Yes. KMZ is the format Google Earth exports by default, so it opens with a double click. It also loads in Google Maps, QGIS, and ArcGIS without unzipping first.
Coordinates carry through, and per-point elevation is preserved where the track includes it. GPX extension fields like heart rate, cadence or temperature are not part of the KML schema, so those custom values are dropped during the write.
A recorded track can hold thousands of points, which makes raw KML text bulky. KMZ zips that XML down, so a full ride or multi-day route travels as a much smaller single file. It also opens straight in Google Earth without extra steps.
A KMZ file opens in Google Earth by double-click, plus QGIS and ArcGIS. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports KMZ will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but geometry and attributes are preserved; only presentation-level styling (which KMZ does not store) is left behind.
