Convert shapefile to GPX to take GIS layers into the field on a Garmin or a phone. Everything runs client-side in the tab, so you can prepare navigation data even for sensitive sites.
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KML, KMZ, SHP (.zip), GeoJSON, GPKG, GML, GPX, DXF, CSV, Excel, and more
No Shapefile file to hand? Download a sample Shapefile 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 Shapefile to GPX, and what to watch for.
| What | Shapefile → GPX | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Changes | Points and lines transfer directly. GPX has no polygon type, so polygons are converted to their boundary as line tracks rather than being dropped. |
| Attributes | Changes | GPX has a fixed schema, so only its native fields (name, description, elevation, time) are filled. Extra columns are not written. |
| Styling & labels | Kept | Neither Shapefile nor GPX stores visual styling, so there is nothing to lose, the geometry and data carry straight over. |
| Coordinate system | Changes | GPX 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 Shapefile into GPX wherever the source records them. |
| File structure | Kept | A single, self-contained .gpx file you can move around on its own. |
A Shapefile is desktop GIS currency. It carries parcels, boundaries and survey layers exchanged between ArcGIS and QGIS. GPX, however, is the language of GPS devices and fitness apps. So people convert Shapefile to GPX to get field data off the desktop and onto a device. For example, you might turn a route or a set of survey points into waypoints and tracks. Then you load them onto a Garmin, a handheld unit, or a navigation app. It also lets you hand a colleague a track that Strava, Komoot or GPSBabel can read directly.
Shapefile records its own coordinate system (in a .prj sidecar or embedded metadata), and the converter reads it automatically, so it knows where your data belongs on the globe.
GPX 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 Shapefile data is in the wrong place" surprise; the guide on coordinate systems and EPSG codes goes deeper.
Check your geometry type first. GPX only holds waypoints, routes and tracks, so it has no polygon. A parcel or boundary Shapefile will not become an area. Points and lines translate best. Also, GPX carries few attributes, so most of your rich .dbf columns get dropped. Finally, GPX is always WGS84, so a Shapefile in a projected system is reprojected on the way out.
Shapefile files typically come out of ArcGIS, QGIS, GeoServer, MapInfo. Once you convert to GPX, the file opens in Garmin devices (via Garmin Express or BaseCamp), Strava, Komoot, and phone apps like OsmAnd. The GPX output follows the standard specification exactly, so those programs read it without any special import settings.
A Shapefile usually holds finished desktop GIS work: survey points, trail centrelines, or boundaries drawn in ArcGIS or QGIS. GPX is what a Garmin unit or phone app actually reads out in the field. Converting bridges the two. Your shapefile geometry becomes waypoints and tracks that a handheld device can navigate. In practice, this is how an office-planned route reaches the trailhead. Because the shapefile arrives as several parts, keep the whole set together.
No. GPX has no polygon type, so it only stores points, routes and tracks. Convert point or line shapefiles for the cleanest result, since area features cannot be represented.
Yes. GPX is the common language for handheld GPS units, so Garmin devices, Strava, Komoot and GPSBabel all read the output directly.
GPX has no polygon type. It stores only waypoints, routes and tracks. A polygon or line shapefile is written as track paths that trace each boundary, while a point shapefile becomes waypoints. The filled-area meaning is not preserved, so expect outlines rather than shapes.
GPX keeps a small fixed set of fields, mainly name, description and elevation. Most .dbf columns have nowhere to land, so choose a name column before converting. That field becomes the label shown next to each waypoint or track on a Garmin or in Strava.
A GPX file opens in Garmin devices, Strava, Komoot and phone navigation apps. Because the output follows the standard specification, any tool that supports GPX will read it without special settings.
No conversion is perfectly loss-free because each format stores different things, but GPX keeps points, lines and elevation, but it has a fixed set of fields, so extra attribute columns are not carried across, keep a CSV copy if you need them.
