CSV to GeoPackage Converter
Convert coordinate tables into spatially indexed database layers.
Spreadsheets containing coordinates can be efficiently imported into database models like GeoPackage. This guide demonstrates how to parse tabular coordinate sheets and automatically generate spatial indexes to optimize query speeds.
Indirect Mapping Execution Required
Because database connection attributes or local attributes parsing is required, direct web streams are disabled. Use the GDAL CLI script below for precise terminal conversions.
Specification Rules
- Consolidate large contact lists or facility coordinates into regional databases
- Speed up location searches in regional datasets by building spatial indexes
- Import coordinates from Excel/CSV tables into GIS systems
- Source fields must contain consistent coordinate values (no empty records)
- Does not support parsing multi-part polygon designs from standard columns
- Requires explicit declaration of coordinate systems
GDAL Direct Equivalent Terminal Command
When to use this conversion
Convert when a coordinate-bearing CSV needs to enter a desktop GIS workflow with spatial indexing. GeoPackage is the right target when the dataset is large enough to benefit from indexed queries, when multiple datasets need to live in one file, or when the consumer is ArcGIS Pro/QGIS rather than a browser.
Technical Details
GeoPackage is typically 50–80% the size of the source CSV for numeric-heavy data. Text-dominated CSVs see less compression. The spatial index adds 10–20% overhead on top of the data.
Common Errors & Fixes
- Coordinate columns not detected: GDAL's defaults don't match your column names. Fix: pass -oo X_POSSIBLE_NAMES=<your_column> -oo Y_POSSIBLE_NAMES=<your_column>.
- Type inference goes wrong: a column that's mostly integers has one text outlier, forcing the whole column to TEXT. Fix: clean the data or pre-declare column types with a .csvt sidecar.
- CRS missing or wrong: ogr2ogr assumes EPSG:4326 if you don't pass -a_srs. Fix: always set -a_srs explicitly, especially for projected coordinates.
- Polygon WKT not detected: the geometry column is recognised as text, not geometry. Fix: pass -oo GEOMETRY=AS_WKT -oo GEOMETRY_NAME=<column>.
Alternative Tools
- QGIS: Add Delimited Text Layer, then Export → GeoPackage
- ogr2ogr CLI with the standard -oo flags (see exampleCommand)
- Python: geopandas.GeoDataFrame from a pandas DataFrame, then .to_file(driver="GPKG")
- DB Browser for SQLite: import CSV into a SQLite database, then add GeoPackage metadata tables manually
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the benefit of using GeoPackage over flat CSV files?
GeoPackage stores geometries in optimized binary formats and compiles spatial indexes, which drastically accelerates geographical queries compared to scanning text sheets.
Can I define coordinate columns using other names?
Yes, GDAL uses flexible pattern matching parameters like 'X_POSSIBLE_NAMES=Longitude,lng' to identify coordinate columns.
Is spreadsheet cell formatting preserved?
Standard cell formatting is stripped, but coordinate values and raw attribute details are imported directly as database strings or floats.