Convert GPX to shapefile to analyse GPS tracks with the full desktop-GIS toolkit: buffers, joins, length statistics and more. GDAL-in-WebAssembly rebuilds the file locally, and you receive every shapefile component in one zip.
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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 Shapefile, and what to watch for.
| What | GPX → Shapefile | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Changes | Points, lines and polygons are all carried over, but a Shapefile holds a single geometry type per file. A layer that mixes types is written one type at a time. |
| Attributes | Changes | Every column is kept, but the Shapefile .dbf caps field names at 10 characters, so long names are shortened (values are untouched). |
| Styling & labels | Kept | Neither GPX nor Shapefile stores visual styling, so there is nothing to lose, the geometry and data carry straight over. |
| Coordinate system | Kept | The CRS is written into the sidecar .prj file. Data is reprojected to WGS84 by default, or a CRS you choose. |
| Elevation (Z) | Kept | 3D Z values carry from GPX into Shapefile wherever the source records them. |
| File structure | Changes | A working Shapefile is several files, so you download one .zip holding .shp, .shx, .dbf, .prj and .cpg. Keep them together. |
People record GPX on a Garmin, a running watch, or in Strava and Komoot. That data lives in the outdoor world, so it stays stuck in navigation apps. Shapefile, however, is the working format of desktop GIS. So converting lets you pull field tracks and waypoints into ArcGIS or QGIS for real analysis. For example, you can measure a route against parcel boundaries, publish trails through GeoServer, or exchange layers with a MapInfo user. In short, GPX captures the fieldwork, then Shapefile turns those hikes, rides, and survey points into proper GIS layers you can query and map.
GPX is already defined in WGS84 longitude/latitude (EPSG:4326), so no guessing is needed on the way in.
On output, the coordinate system is written into the Shapefile .prj file. By default the data is reprojected to WGS84, or you can choose another EPSG code if your workflow needs one. 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.
A Shapefile holds one geometry type per file. GPX, however, mixes waypoints (points) with routes and tracks (lines). So expect your output to split into separate point and line layers, not one file. Also, the Shapefile arrives as a .zip holding .shp, .dbf, .shx, and .prj. Keep all parts together. Finally, GPX attribute names longer than 10 characters get truncated in the .dbf.
GPX files typically come out of Garmin, Strava, Komoot, QGIS, GPSBabel. Once you convert to Shapefile, the file opens in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, MapInfo and GeoServer, the whole desktop-GIS world. The Shapefile output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
A GPX file is what your GPS unit, watch or trail app hands you: waypoints, routes and recorded tracks. A Shapefile is what desktop GIS expects when you want to measure, buffer or join that data against other layers. Converting bridges the two. In practice you record a route in the field, then turn it into a shapefile so ArcGIS or QGIS can treat those tracks as proper vector features for analysis and mapping.
A Shapefile allows only one geometry type per file. GPX waypoints are points while tracks and routes are lines, so they are written to separate point and line Shapefiles.
Yes. Shapefile is the standard vector format for both, so just unzip all the parts into one folder and add the .shp. It also loads into GeoServer and MapInfo.
No. A shapefile stores a single geometry type per file, while GPX mixes point waypoints with line tracks and routes. The conversion therefore splits them, sending waypoints to a point shapefile and each track or route to a line shapefile.
When a GPX track becomes a single polyline feature, its rows collapse to one attribute record, so the point-by-point elevation and time values are simplified. If you need those preserved for each vertex, convert the track points as individual points rather than as a line before opening the result in QGIS.
A Shapefile file opens in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, MapInfo and most desktop GIS. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports Shapefile will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but the only change to watch is that shapefile field names are shortened to 10 characters; your geometry, coordinates and values are all preserved.
