Splügen Pass to Italy 🇮🇹
The Splügen Pass connects Switzerland and Italy, linking Splügen with Chiavenna. At 2,113 meters (6,929 feet), it provides a direct route through the Alps, offering impressive views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
Free KML to SHP converter online Convert KML files to shapefile in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Turn a KML into a shapefile
without sending it anywhere.
Drop the .kml here. You get a zip with the .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj that QGIS or ArcGIS expect. Placemark names and descriptions end up as attribute columns. The conversion runs in this tab.
Want to check the route first? The 3D preview is one click, and optional.
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Miles0mi0mi
Free onlineKML to SHP01
How to convert a KML file to SHP online
Four steps. The third one is a wait of a few seconds at most.
Step 1
Open the converter
This page. No account, nothing to install.
Step 2
Drop in your KML
Drag a .kml onto the page, or click Select KML File. It is read on your computer, not on a server.
Step 3
Check what was found
You get the outline, the length and the number of features. If that looks wrong, load another file.
Step 4
Download the shapefile
Click Download SHP File. A zip lands in your downloads with one shapefile per geometry type in the KML.
02
KML and shapefile:
what changes in the conversion
What is a shapefile?
A shapefile is the Esri format that most GIS software reads natively. It isn't one file but at least three. The .shp holds the geometry, the .shx is an index into it, and the .dbf is a table with one row of attributes per shape. A fourth file, .prj, says which coordinate system the numbers are in. Lose the .dbf and every shape loses its name. That's why the download here is a zip with all four inside.
One shapefile holds one geometry type. A KML with pins and a path becomes two shapefiles in the zip, one for the points and one for the line.
What is kept, what is dropped?
Geometry survives intact: points, paths and polygons, multi-part ones included. Placemark names, descriptions and any ExtendedData fields become columns in the .dbf. Column names get cut to ten characters because dbf can't hold more. Coordinates are written in WGS84, the same lat/lon that KML uses.
Styles don't make it. Icons, line colours, ground overlays and the camera positions of a Google Earth tour have no place in a shapefile, so they're dropped. Altitude goes too. The writer produces 2D shapes.
03
KML vs SHP: key differences
Where the two formats agree and where they don't. Most surprises after a conversion trace back to one of these rows.
| Feature | KML | Shapefile |
|---|---|---|
| Files | One .kml | .shp + .shx + .dbf + .prj |
| Format | XML, plain text | Binary geometry plus a dBase table |
| Geometry per file | Any mix of points, lines, polygons | One type per file |
| Attributes | Name, description, ExtendedData | Columns in the .dbf, names up to 10 characters |
| Styling | Icons, colours, overlays, tours | None. The GIS applies its own. |
| Coordinate system | Always WGS84 | Anything, declared in the .prj |
| Typical software | Google Earth, Google My Maps | QGIS, ArcGIS, GeoPandas |
Other free GPS file tools
Same idea on every page: the file is read in your browser and nothing is uploaded unless you open the 3D preview.
KML to GPX converter
KML in, GPX out, in your browser.
KMZ to GPX converter
KMZ in, GPX out, in your browser.
GPX to KML converter
GPX in, KML out, in your browser.
GPX to KMZ converter
GPX in, KMZ out, in your browser.
KMZ to KML converter
KMZ in, KML out, in your browser.
KML to KMZ converter
KML in, KMZ out, in your browser.
KMZ to SHP converter
KMZ in, a zipped shapefile out, for QGIS and ArcGIS.
SHP to KML converter
Drop a zipped shapefile, get a KML for Google Earth.
GPX viewer
Open a GPX and see the track, its length and where it starts and ends.
KML viewer
Open a KML or KMZ and see what is inside before you use it elsewhere.
KMZ viewer
Unzip a KMZ in the browser and see the paths and placemarks it holds.
GeoJSON viewer
Open a GeoJSON file and see its features drawn and measured.
FIT file viewer
Open a Garmin, Wahoo or COROS .fit file, see the ride or run, and download it as GPX.
Turn the KML into a 3D map video in the AvoMap editor
Before the shapefile goes into QGIS, see the route the other way round. The AvoMap editor lays it over satellite terrain, flies a camera along it and exports an MP4 in up to 4K.
The editor is free to use. You pay per exported video.
Videos Made With AvoMap
Explore the full range of AvoMap features in action with these videos, all created using the easy-to-use editor.
Splügen Pass to Italy 🇮🇹
The Splügen Pass connects Switzerland and Italy, linking Splügen with Chiavenna. At 2,113 meters (6,929 feet), it provides a direct route through the Alps, offering impressive views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
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Otter Trail — South Africa
The Otter Trail is a five-day hiking route in South Africa, starting at Storms River Mouth Rest Camp and finishing at the small resort village of Natures Valley in the de Vasselot section of the park.
Kepler Track — New Zealand
The Kepler Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks, renowned for its stunning natural beauty and varied landscapes. It's a 60-kilometer (37-mile) circular hiking trail located in Fiordland National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. The track typically takes around 3 to 4 days to complete and passes through diverse terrain, including beech forests, alpine meadows, and alongside pristine lakes and rivers.
170 Miles Around Lake Tahoe
The Tahoe Rim Trail is a 170-mile long hiking path encircling the Lake Tahoe Basin in the Sierra Nevada, traversing parts of Nevada and California in the United States. It spans elevations from 6,223 feet at Lake Tahoe's outlet to 10,338 feet at Nevada's Relay Peak.
The Grand Raid — La Reunion
The Grand Raid de la Réunion, known as La diagonale des fous, is an ultramarathon held annually in October on Réunion island, a French overseas department located in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius.
Frankfurt To Dubai In 30 Seconds
As a break from my usual routine, I decided to embark on an epic journey by motorbike from Frankfurt to Dubai. It took me 62 days to complete the trip, and along the way I crossed through 11 different countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and Iran.
Zugspitze Ultra — Germany
The Zugspitz Ultratrail stands as Germany's premier trail running event. Drawing over 4400 participants, it features six distinct routes spanning from 16 to 106 kilometers in length.
San Francisco Marathon
The San Francisco Marathon is a renowned race featuring a full marathon, half marathon, and 5K. Held in late July, it navigates iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf. The hilly terrain presents a challenge, but the stunning views and community support make it memorable.
Frequently asked questions
Is the KML to SHP converter free?
Yes. Converting, the stats and the 3D preview cost nothing. AvoMap charges for exported videos, and that pays for the free tools.
Does my file get uploaded?
No. The KML is parsed and the shapefile written in your browser. Two things do leave the tab: the first and last coordinate, to look up the place names you see, and the route itself if you click Open 3D Preview. Skip the preview and the data stays put.
Why is the download a zip?
Because a shapefile is several files. The .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj belong together, and GIS software expects them side by side. Unzip the download and open the .shp.
Why are there two or three shapefiles in the zip?
A shapefile holds one geometry type. If your KML has placemarks and a path, you get one file ending in -points.shp and one in -lines.shp. Add them as separate layers.
What happens to icons and colours?
They're dropped. Shapefiles carry geometry and attributes, not style. Set the symbology in QGIS or ArcGIS after import.
What coordinate system is the output in?
WGS84, EPSG:4326, in decimal degrees. That is what KML uses, and the .prj in the zip says so. Reproject in your GIS if you need UTM or a national grid.
Can it convert a KMZ?
Yes. Drop the .kmz and it is unzipped first. There is also a separate KMZ to SHP page in the footer if you'd rather start there.
Is there a size limit?
None enforced. Everything happens in memory on your machine, so a phone will struggle with a KML of several hundred megabytes where a laptop won't.