GPX — GPS Exchange Format — is the standard file format for storing GPS data captured in the field. Surveyors use it to record traverses. Field ecologists use it to log transect paths. Utility crews use it to document asset inspection routes. Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts generate millions of GPX files every day from watches, phones, and handheld GPS devices. If you work in GIS, you will encounter GPX files regularly, often from colleagues or clients who have no idea what format they are using.

What Is a GPX File?

GPX (GPS Exchange Format) is an XML-based open standard for GPS data, developed by TopoGrafix and released in 2002. A GPX file can contain three types of data:

• Waypoints (wpt): Individual named point locations. A field team might log waypoints for each sample site, utility pole, or inspection point.
• Routes (rte): A planned sequence of waypoints forming a navigation route, typically created before going into the field.
• Tracks (trk): The actual GPS path recorded over time. Tracks contain a series of trackpoints, each with latitude, longitude, elevation, and timestamp. This is the most common GPX data type in practice.

Unlike KML, GPX does not contain styling information. It is purely a data exchange format — geometry and attributes only. This makes it clean and simple to work with programmatically, but it means you cannot carry visual styling from a GPS device into your GIS environment.

How to View GPX Files Online

The Quick Map Tools GPX viewer renders tracks, routes, and waypoints on an interactive map directly in your browser. Upload your GPX file and your GPS data appears immediately — you can see the full track path, zoom into specific sections, and inspect individual waypoint attributes.

This is particularly useful for a quick field data review: did the team actually cover the planned survey area? Are there any obvious GPS errors — jumps, dropouts, or spurious points — that need cleaning before analysis? Does the track match what the field notes describe? A ten-second visual check answers these questions before you invest time in a more involved processing workflow.

The viewer also works well for GPX files from consumer devices — Garmin, Suunto, Wahoo, Apple Watch — so it is useful beyond strictly professional GIS contexts.

Converting GPX Data for GIS Analysis

GPX to CSV

Extracting GPS trackpoints into a CSV file is often the first step in a data analysis pipeline. Each row in the output represents a single GPS point with columns for latitude, longitude, elevation, and timestamp. The GPX to CSV converter handles this extraction directly in the browser. The resulting CSV can be loaded into Python (pandas, geopandas), R, Excel, or any database for further processing.

CSV output is also the standard format for importing point data into ArcGIS and QGIS using the “Add Delimited Text Layer” or similar import functions.

GPX to Excel (XLSX)

When the analysis needs to happen in Excel rather than a GIS or scripting environment, the GPX to Excel converter extracts all trackpoints, routes, and waypoints into a structured spreadsheet. This is the format most field teams and non-GIS colleagues will find easiest to work with for review, data cleaning, and reporting.

GPX to GeoJSON or KML

For integration into web mapping applications or Google Earth, you will need to convert GPX to GeoJSON or KML. Once in GeoJSON, your GPS tracks can be visualised using the GeoJSON viewer or loaded directly into a web map. Our guide on viewing GeoJSON files online covers the workflow for checking converted data before loading it into a production application. For KML workflows, see our guide on working with KML files in GIS.

Common GPX Data Quality Issues

GPS data collected in the field is rarely perfect. The most common issues you will encounter:

• GPS jitter: Small random errors in position cause the recorded track to waver around the true path. This is normal for consumer GPS devices (accuracy ±3–5m in open sky). For high-precision applications, differential GPS or post-processing is required.
• Positional jumps: A sudden jump in position — hundreds of metres in a single trackpoint — usually indicates a brief GPS signal loss followed by reacquisition. These outlier points need to be removed before analysis.
• Elevation errors: Barometric altimeters (found in higher-end GPS devices) are more accurate than GPS-derived elevation. GPS elevation is often ±10–30m off, which matters for slope analysis and hydrological modelling.
• Timestamp gaps: If a GPS device powers off during a survey and back on again, the resulting GPX will contain a track with a large time gap. Treating this as a continuous track will produce incorrect speed and distance calculations.

GPX in the Context of a Broader GIS Workflow

GPX is typically an input format — you collect data in the field, export GPX from your device, and then convert to a more capable format for analysis. The typical path is:

1. Collect GPS data in the field (any GPS device, smartphone app, or dedicated logger).
2. Export GPX from the device.
3. View in browser to do a quick visual QC check.
4. Convert to CSV or GeoJSON for analysis.
5. If the analysis requires administrative context — which area did this track pass through? which district contains these waypoints? — you will need administrative boundary data as a reference layer. The Download Boundaries tool provides this, covered in our guide to downloading free boundary data.

Summary

GPX is a simple, open, widely supported format for GPS data that you will encounter regularly in fieldwork, surveying, and asset management contexts. The Quick Map Tools GPX viewer handles the visual QC step, and the converters for CSV and Excel get your GPS data into formats suitable for analysis — all without desktop software or account creation.