KML KMZ Viewer — View KML Files on Map Online Free

The Easiest Way to Open a KML File Without Google Earth

KML and KMZ files are everywhere — exported from Google Earth projects, downloaded from government data portals, generated by GPS devices and hiking apps, or shared by colleagues who use Google Maps for collaborative mapping. But to view them, you have traditionally needed Google Earth installed, which is a 500 MB+ download that not every computer has. This KML viewer changes that: drag your file into the browser, and your data appears on an interactive map within seconds.

The tool supports both formats natively. KML files are parsed directly as XML. KMZ files are automatically unzipped in the browser and the inner KML is extracted and rendered — no server, no upload, no waiting. Points appear as clickable circle markers, lines as paths, and polygons as filled shapes. Click any feature to see its name, description, and extended data attributes in a popup. Switch between four basemaps (Street, Topo, Satellite, Dark) to give your data the right context, then export everything as GeoJSON for use in web mapping projects.

What Is KML and Why Is It Used for Geographic Data?

KML stands for Keyhole Markup Language, named after Keyhole Inc., the company that created Google Earth before Google acquired it in 2004. The format was later standardised by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and remains one of the most widely recognised geographic data formats in the world, largely because of Google Earth''s huge user base.

Under the hood, KML is plain XML — human-readable, self-describing, and editable in any text editor. A KML file describes placemarks (points), paths (lines), and regions (polygons) using geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude), and can attach descriptive text, HTML content, extended data tables, and even embedded images to each feature. This makes it particularly well-suited for annotated maps — field survey results, travel routes with notes, documented site boundaries, or educational content about geographic features.

KMZ is the compressed ZIP version of KML. It is smaller for distribution and can bundle additional resources (custom icons, embedded images) that the KML references. This viewer handles both transparently: upload either format and the features are displayed identically.

Understanding KML Feature Types

A KML file can contain several types of geographic features. Understanding what each one represents helps you make sense of what you see on the map:

• Placemark (Point) — The most common KML element. A single named location with a latitude and longitude, shown here as a circle marker. May include a name, description (plain text or HTML), and extended data fields.
• LineString (Path) — A sequence of connected coordinates forming a route, road, border, or any linear feature. Used for GPS tracks, hiking routes, river centrelines, or transport corridors.
• Polygon (Region) — A closed shape defining an area. Used for administrative boundaries, land parcels, protected zones, study areas, or any geographic region. May have an outer boundary and inner holes.
• Folder / Document — Organisational containers that group multiple placemarks. This viewer merges all features from all folders into a single layer — all placemarks remain clickable regardless of folder structure.
• MultiGeometry — A single placemark that contains multiple geometry types, for example a point and a polygon together. This viewer renders each component geometry separately.

KML Data from Google Earth — A Practical Example

Google Earth is the most common source of KML files. If you have ever saved a placemark in Google Earth, marked up a site boundary, or created a route in My Maps, you can export that work as KML and view it here. The workflow is simple: in Google Earth Pro, right-click your saved place or folder and choose "Save Place As"; in My Maps, use the export menu to download as KML. The resulting file captures your entire project — all placemarks with their names, descriptions, and coordinate data.

The descriptions in Google Earth placemarks often contain HTML tables or rich text created in the placemark editor. This viewer strips the HTML markup and displays the plain text content in the popup, making the information readable regardless of how it was formatted in Google Earth. Extended data fields (the simple table format) are shown as key-value rows below the description.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1

Tool Loads with Empty World Map

The KML Viewer opens with a clean, interactive world map and a sidebar containing the upload zone, layer info, colour picker, basemap selector, and action buttons. No account or installation is required — the tool runs entirely in your browser.

Step 2

Upload Zone Ready for KML or KMZ

Drag a .kml or .kmz file directly onto the dashed drop zone, or click it to open a file browser. KMZ files (ZIP archives containing a KML) are automatically unpacked and the inner KML is parsed. Both formats are fully supported.

Step 3

KML Features Appear on the Map

Within seconds your KML placemarks, routes, and areas are rendered as an overlay on the map. Points appear as circle markers, lines as paths, and polygons as filled shapes. The map automatically zooms to fit the full extent of your data.

Step 4

Click a Feature to See Its Data

Click any placemark, line, or polygon on the map to open a popup showing the feature's name, description, and any extended data attributes stored in the KML. This is especially useful for inspecting Google Earth projects with annotated placemarks.

Step 5

Change Feature Colour Instantly

Use the colour picker or choose from the preset palette to restyle all features at once. The colour applies to point fill, line stroke, and polygon fill simultaneously, making it easy to match your colour scheme or improve contrast against the basemap.

Step 6

Topo Basemap for Terrain Context

Switch to the Topo basemap to see elevation contours and terrain shading. This is ideal for hiking routes, GPS tracks, and geographic study areas where understanding the landscape beneath the data is important.

Step 7

Satellite Imagery as Background

Overlay your KML data on high-resolution satellite imagery from Esri. Compare Google Earth placemarks and boundaries against real-world land use, vegetation, infrastructure, and building footprints.

Step 8

Dark Basemap for High Contrast

The Dark basemap creates a vivid, presentation-ready look. Teal or bright-coloured feature overlays stand out sharply against the dark background — great for screenshots, slide decks, or reports.

Step 9

Export Your Data as GeoJSON

Click "Download GeoJSON" to convert the entire KML dataset to a modern, web-ready GeoJSON file. All feature geometries and attribute data are preserved. The resulting .geojson file works directly in Leaflet, Mapbox GL JS, QGIS, GitHub map previews, and most GIS tools.

Step 10

Zoom to Features Resets the View

If you have panned away or zoomed into a detail, click "Zoom to Features" to instantly snap the map back to the full extent of your KML data. Works at any time, regardless of which basemap is active.

Common Use Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools

Map tiles by CARTO, OpenTopoMap, and Esri. Base map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. KML parsing by @tmcw/togeojson. KMZ extraction by JSZip. Map rendering by Leaflet. All file processing is local — no data is uploaded to any server.