KML to GPX Converter
Convert Google Earth layouts into navigation track files.
This upcoming tool allows you to convert paths and placemarks created in Google Earth into standardized GPX tracking files compatible with hiking and automotive navigation hardware.
Drag file here to convert, or select file
Supported file extension: .kml • Max 50MB
Specification Rules
- Load routes designed in Google Earth onto handheld navigation devices
- Sync custom vector outlines with mobile GPS applications
- Convert visual boundary shapes into coordinate files
- Requires explicit line paths (isolated polygon boundaries are flattened)
- Style descriptions and polygon overlays are stripped
- Features are consolidated to fit GPX layer limitations
GDAL Direct Equivalent Terminal Command
When to use this conversion
Convert when a route drawn in Google Earth needs to load onto a GPS device for field navigation. Useful for hand-designed hiking, cycling, or off-road routes that exist as KML Placemarks.
Technical Details
GPX is typically 60–80% the size of the source KML. KML's styling and description tags are stripped; the binary-like efficiency of GPX's simpler schema reduces overhead.
Common Errors & Fixes
- Polygons silently dropped: GPX has no polygon geometry. Fix: convert polygons to <trkseg> boundary lines first.
- Device rejects file: track has too many points. Fix: simplify with QGIS or gpsbabel's -x simplify filter.
- Descriptions lost: KML's rich HTML balloons don't survive. Fix: extract text and store in a sidecar, or use GeoPackage as intermediate.
- CRS issue from KMZ: KMZ unzipped wrong and coordinates corrupted. Fix: extract the inner doc.kml cleanly and re-convert.
Alternative Tools
- gpsbabel: gpsbabel -i kml -f input.kml -o gpx -F output.gpx
- ogr2ogr CLI: ogr2ogr -f GPX output.gpx input.kml
- QGIS: open KML, export as GPX
- Online single-purpose converters (kml2gpx.com) for quick one-shot use
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my custom markers export as GPX waypoints?
Yes. Place markers in your source file will convert into waypoints with coordinates.
What happens to multiple overlays inside folders?
Our script flattens folder structures, grouping elements securely by shape category.
Does this require active internet connections?
Offline conversions run on locally hosted units to maintain processing speeds and data security.