Convert a GPX file from a GPS device, watch or hiking app to KML or KMZ for Google Earth and Google My Maps. Waypoints, routes and tracks are kept in separate folders, track segments stay separate, and time stamps can be kept so Google Earth can play the track back. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded.
- Free, no signup
- KML or KMZ
- Keeps waypoints, routes and tracks
- Runs in your browser: no upload
No file handy? Download a sample GPX with two waypoints, a route and a two-segment track with times and elevation.
How to convert GPX to KML
- Load the GPX file. Drop a .gpx file onto the box above, or click it to browse. It can hold waypoints, routes and tracks in any mix.
- Check the preview. The page counts the waypoints, routes and tracks, and shows each track's point count and approximate length.
- Choose the options. Pick how tracks are written (plain lines, or time-aware tracks for Google Earth), whether to use elevation, and the colours and line width.
- Download. Click Download KML, or Download KMZ for a compressed file. Open it in Google Earth or import it into Google My Maps.
How GPX becomes KML
| In the GPX | In the KML |
|---|---|
Waypoints (wpt) | One placemark per waypoint, in a folder called Waypoints. The name and description are kept, the time becomes a time stamp, and elevation, symbol, type, source and link are kept as data fields. |
Routes (rte) | One line placemark per route, in a folder called Routes. |
Tracks (trk) with one segment | One line placemark, in a folder called Tracks. |
| Tracks with several segments | One placemark holding one line per segment, so the gaps (for example where you paused the recording) are not joined. |
| Time on every track point | Kept only if you choose time-aware track. Then each track becomes a gx:Track, which Google Earth can animate with its time slider. Otherwise tracks are plain lines. |
Elevation (ele) | Used as altitude only if you tick the option. Otherwise the lines are draped on the ground. |
| Extensions (heart rate, cadence, temperature and similar) | Not converted. The page tells you when the file has them. |
Plain line or time-aware track?
Plain line is standard KML and works in every program that reads KML. Time-aware track uses a Google Earth extension (gx:Track) that keeps the time stamp of every point, so Google Earth can play the track back. Other programs that read only standard KML may not draw it, which is why the plain line is the default. A track is written as a time-aware track only when every one of its points has a time; the page tells you about the others.
Common problems and how to fix them
The track goes underground or floats in the air
That happens when elevation is used as an absolute altitude and the GPS elevation does not match Google Earth's terrain. Untick Use elevation as altitude to drape the track on the ground.
There is no time slider in Google Earth
Choose time-aware track. The time slider needs time stamps, and plain lines have none.
A gap in my recording was joined by a straight line
That does not happen here. Each track segment becomes its own line, so a pause in recording leaves a gap. If the straight line is in the GPX itself, the GPS wrote the points in one segment.
The page says this is not valid GPX
The XML could not be read, or the file is XML of another kind. A GPX file starts with a gpx element. Open it in a text editor and check that it was not cut off during download.
Points are missing
Points with a missing or out-of-range latitude or longitude are skipped. The page says how many.
What this converter does and does not do
- Versions. GPX 1.0 and 1.1 are read.
- Not converted: extension data, and the symbols and icons of the original device. All waypoints use one icon colour.
- Length figures in the preview are approximate (spherical, from the points as recorded), meant for checking the file, not for surveying.
- Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and there is no signup, so the practical size limit is your computer's memory.
GPX or KML: what is the difference?
GPX is the format GPS devices, fitness watches and hiking apps record: waypoints, routes and tracks with times and elevations. KML is the Google Earth format: shapes with styling and folders. Convert GPX to KML to see a recorded trip in Google Earth, or to share it with colours and names on a map. To go back to a device or hiking app, use KML to GPX.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert GPX to KML?
Drop the .gpx file onto the converter, set the options, then click Download KML or Download KMZ. Open the result in Google Earth or import it into Google My Maps.
Is it free, and do I need an account?
It is free and needs no account or signup. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded to a server.
Which GPX data is converted?
Waypoints, routes and tracks, including tracks with several segments. Names, descriptions, times and elevations are kept. Extension data, such as heart rate, is not.
Does it keep the time stamps?
Waypoint times become KML time stamps. For tracks, choose time-aware track to keep the time of every point, which lets Google Earth animate the track. Plain lines have no times.
What is a time-aware track?
A gx:Track, a Google Earth extension to KML. It stores a time with every point. Programs that read only standard KML may not draw it, so the default is a plain line.
Is elevation kept?
Waypoint elevation is kept as a data field. If you tick Use elevation as altitude, the lines and waypoints are written with absolute altitude. By default they are draped on the ground.
What happens to routes?
Each route becomes a line in a folder called Routes. A GPX route is a planned path, while a track is a recorded one, so they are kept in separate folders.
Will a pause in my recording show as a gap?
Yes. Each track segment is a separate line, so a gap in the recording is not joined by a straight line.
Can I change the colours?
Yes. Set the waypoint colour, the line colour and the line width. They apply to the whole file.
Can it write KMZ?
Yes. KMZ is a zipped KML. The page compresses it with the browser's built-in compression and falls back to an uncompressed but valid KMZ if the browser cannot compress.
Which GPX versions does it read?
GPX 1.0 and 1.1.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no fixed limit, but the work happens in your browser's memory. A recording with hundreds of thousands of points can be slow, especially on a phone.
How accurate is the length shown in the preview?
It is approximate. It adds up the distances between recorded points on a sphere, which can differ from a geodesic length by a fraction of a percent. It is there to check the file, not to survey.
How do I convert KML back to GPX?
Use KML to GPX, which writes waypoints and tracks that GPS devices and hiking apps can import.
Related tools and guides
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Request a consultationLast updated 2026-10-15. Published by Sagarmekhla GIS Consultancy.