How to Convert GPX to KML

How to Convert GPX to KML (Fastest Method)

To convert a GPX file to KML, open the free GPX Converter at gpxanalyzer.com/tools/gpx-converter.html, load your .gpx file, and click Export as KML — the converted file downloads immediately with the same name and a .kml extension. The conversion runs entirely in your browser: nothing uploads to a server, no account is needed, and the whole process takes under a minute.

1. Open the GPX Converter — it runs in your browser with no account or install.
2. Drag your .gpx file onto the upload area or click Browse Files. The file is processed locally and never uploaded.
3. Check the file summary — confirm the tracks, routes, waypoints, and total point count match what you expect from the file.
4. Click Export as KML. The converted file downloads immediately, ready to open in Google Earth.

In the output, each GPX track becomes a KML Folder containing one LineString per track segment, GPX routes become LineString Placemarks, and waypoints become Point Placemarks that keep their names and descriptions. Going the other way? Use the KML to GPX Converter instead.

Method 2: Google Earth Pro (Desktop)

Google Earth Pro, the free desktop version of Google Earth, opens GPX files directly and can re-save them as KML or KMZ. This route takes a few more clicks than a converter, but it is the only common method that can preserve per-point timestamps, because Google Earth writes tracks using its gx:Track extension (see Google's import documentation).

1. Open Google Earth Pro on your desktop.
2. Choose File > Open and select your .gpx file (set the file-type filter to "Gps" if it doesn't appear).
3. In the GPS import dialog, keep Create KML Tracks checked to retain time data.
4. Right-click the imported item in the Places panel and choose Save Place As.
5. Pick KML (or KMZ, the zipped variant) as the file type and save.

Method 3: GPSBabel on the Command Line

For batch jobs or scripted workflows, the open-source GPSBabel utility converts GPX to KML in one line and handles hundreds of files as easily as one:

gpsbabel -i gpx -f input.gpx -o kml -F output.kml

GPSBabel also exposes KML-specific options (line color, units, track-point export) if you need finer control than the defaults.

What KML Keeps — and What It Drops

GPX-to-KML conversion is not lossless. Geometry survives completely — every latitude, longitude, and elevation value carries over — but a standard KML LineString stores only coordinates, so per-point timestamps are discarded, and KML has no equivalent for the sensor extensions (heart rate, cadence, temperature) that fitness devices embed in GPX. If you need that data later, keep the original .gpx file.

Two quick sanity checks after any conversion: open the .kml in Google Earth and confirm the track draws where you expect, and if waypoints seem to be missing, verify the source file actually contained <wpt> elements — some recording apps export tracks only. The GPX Validator shows exact track, route, and waypoint counts before you convert.

Background: What GPX and KML Actually Are

GPX (GPS eXchange Format) is an open XML format for GPS data — waypoints, routes, and tracks — defined by the Topografix GPX 1.1 schema and supported by virtually every GPS device and app. KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an OGC standard for describing geographic visualization: where things sit on the map and how they should look. You convert when the destination speaks KML — most commonly Google Earth, Google My Maps, and GIS visualization tools.

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