How do I view a GPX file on a map?

Import it into Google My Maps or use a free online GPX viewer, neither of which needs anything installed. QGIS handles it as a GIS layer for more serious work.

What is the difference between GPX and KML?

GPX is built for GPS data: tracks, routes and waypoints with timestamps and elevation. KML is built for map presentation, with styling, icons and overlays. Both are XML and both are readable in a text editor.

File extensions

How to open a .gpx file

GPS Exchange Format · Geographic data

A .gpx file holds a GPS track, route or set of waypoints as XML. Any text editor shows the coordinates, and free tools plot it on a map without installing anything.

What a .gpx file actually is

GPX is the open standard for GPS data, produced by watches, bike computers, phone apps and handheld units. It records a series of points with latitude, longitude, elevation and a timestamp.

Because it is XML, the raw data is readable, which is genuinely useful when you want to check a single coordinate rather than see a map.

Why it will not open

Nothing is associated with .gpx unless you installed mapping software. The file is fine and the data is fully readable in a text editor.

Renaming it to an extension you can open will not help: changing the extension does not convert the file, it only changes what Windows tries to open it with.

Step by step

Windows

01To see it on a map with nothing installed, use a free online GPX viewer, or import it into Google My Maps.
02For serious use, install QGIS, which is free and treats GPX as a proper GIS layer.
03Garmin, Strava, Komoot and most fitness platforms import GPX directly.
04To read the raw coordinates, open it in VS Code or Notepad. Each trackpoint is one readable line.

macOS

01The same web tools work in any browser.
02QGIS has a macOS build for anything more involved.

What usually goes wrong

A GPX is a movement log

A track from a run or ride usually starts and ends at your home, with exact timestamps. Before uploading one to a public platform, check whether it offers a privacy zone, and think twice about posting the raw file on a forum.

Programs that open .gpx

Our pick, in order. Every one links to the publisher's official download URL and the SHA-256 hash of the installer. Once you have downloaded it, you can check the file against our index before you run it.

If you end up downloading one of these from somewhere other than the publisher, what you can and cannot verify about that is worth two minutes.

Sublime Text 4Sublime is a sophisticated cross-platform text editor for code, markup and prose.v4.0.0.420000 · 2 hashed installers92

Common questions

How do I view a GPX file on a map?: Import it into Google My Maps or use a free online GPX viewer, neither of which needs anything installed. QGIS handles it as a GIS layer for more serious work.
What is the difference between GPX and KML?: GPX is built for GPS data: tracks, routes and waypoints with timestamps and elevation. KML is built for map presentation, with styling, icons and overlays. Both are XML and both are readable in a text editor.