GeoJSON
An open standard format for encoding geographic data structures using JSON. Supports geometry types including Point, LineString, Polygon, and their multi-part variants. Widely used in web mapping and APIs due to its simplicity and compatibility with JavaScript.
Overview
GeoJSON is a JSON-based format for encoding geographic vector data — points, lines, polygons, and feature collections. Standardized as RFC 7946, it is the default format for web-based geospatial applications. Human-readable, zero-dependency, and natively compatible with JavaScript.
How It Works
A GeoJSON file contains Feature objects with a geometry (Point, LineString, Polygon, etc.) and a properties object. Features are grouped into FeatureCollections. All coordinates use WGS 84 (EPSG:4326). Because it is plain JSON, any language can parse and generate it without specialized libraries.
Key Facts
- RFC 7946 (August 2016) — coordinates must be in WGS 84.
- Supports 7 geometry types: Point, MultiPoint, LineString, MultiLineString, Polygon, MultiPolygon, GeometryCollection.
- Human-readable but inefficient for large datasets.
- No topology support — shared boundaries are stored redundantly.
Applications
Web Mapping
Default format for Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, OpenLayers, and deck.gl.
Geospatial APIs
Standard response format for REST APIs serving geographic data.
Data Exchange
Universal interchange format between GIS software, databases, and programming environments.
Limitations & Considerations
Verbose and inefficient for large datasets. No streaming or partial reads. Only WGS 84 coordinates. No raster, temporal, or 3D support. For large-scale data, GeoParquet and FlatGeobuf are more efficient.
History & Background
Emerged around 2008 as a community specification. IETF formalized as RFC 7946 in 2016. Supported by every major GIS tool. GeoParquet emerging for cloud-native workflows.
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