Longitude & Latitude Map From CSV — Geodata Visualiser
This free online map application converts a CSV spreadsheet containing latitude and longitude columns into an interactive point map in seconds. Upload or drag and drop your CSV file, and all coordinates are automatically plotted as circle markers on a world map — zoomed to fit your data's geographic extent.
The tool auto-detects which columns hold the latitude and longitude values by checking common column name conventions (lat, latitude, y, lon, long, longitude, x). If your columns have non-standard names, a manual selector lets you choose the correct fields. All other columns in your CSV are treated as attribute data and shown in a popup when you click any point.
You can customise the appearance of your data points using the colour picker and size slider — both update all markers instantly without re-uploading the file. Three basemaps are available: OpenStreetMap street view, Esri satellite imagery, and Esri topographic terrain. Up to 500 points can be displayed per file. Your CSV data never leaves your browser.
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CSV Format Requirements
Your CSV file must have a header row and at least two numeric columns containing decimal degree coordinates. Here is the accepted column naming convention:
| Accepted Column Names | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lat / latitude / y | Latitude decimal degrees |
| lon / long / lng / longitude / x | Longitude decimal degrees |
| Any other column | Attribute (shown in popup) |
Example CSV with optional attributes:
name,lat,lng,category,description Eiffel Tower,48.8584,2.2945,Landmark,Famous iron lattice tower in Paris Big Ben,51.5007,-0.1246,Landmark,Clock tower at the Palace of Westminster Colosseum,41.8902,12.4922,Landmark,Ancient amphitheatre in Rome
Common Use Cases
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Delivery Route Review
Plot a list of delivery addresses (geocoded to coordinates) to visually check route distribution and spot outliers before dispatching.
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Site Surveys
Map GPS waypoints exported from a field survey or drone flight to verify spatial coverage and identify gaps.
🌿
Environmental Sampling
Visualise soil, water or air quality sample locations from a monitoring campaign to identify spatial patterns.
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Sales Territory Mapping
Plot customer or prospect locations from a CRM export to understand geographic distribution across sales regions.
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Wildlife Tracking
Map animal GPS collar fixes or bird ring recovery records exported from a tracking database to study movement patterns.
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IoT Sensor Networks
Visualise the locations of deployed IoT sensors, weather stations or network assets from a device inventory CSV.
How to Prepare Your GPS Coordinates CSV
Geographic point data must have longitude and latitude in separate columns. All other attributes should have descriptive column names so they display clearly in the popup. The table does not need to be sorted and blank rows are skipped automatically.
1. Export from your GPS device or software: Most GPS receivers, drones and GIS applications can export waypoints or track points as CSV. Look for an "Export" or "Save As" option and choose CSV or plain text format. Ensure coordinates are in WGS84 decimal degrees.
2. Check column names: Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets or a text editor and verify that the latitude and longitude columns have clear names (lat, lng, latitude, longitude, y, x). Rename them if needed — this helps the auto-detection work correctly.
3. Remove non-coordinate rows: Delete any metadata rows above the header, merged cell headers, or summary rows at the bottom. The first row must be the column header row.
4. Save as CSV (comma-delimited): In Excel: File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited). In Google Sheets: File → Download → CSV. Ensure the file ends with .csv.
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How to Use — Step by Step
1
Tool Opens with World Map
The CSV map plotter loads with a blank world map and a toolbar at the top. An upload prompt in the map centre explains how to use the tool. You can upload a CSV by clicking "Browse CSV", dragging and dropping a file onto the map, or downloading the sample CSV to try it out first.
2
Click Browse CSV to Upload
Click the purple "Browse CSV" button in the toolbar to open your file browser. Select any .csv file that contains latitude and longitude columns. The tool accepts CSV files up to 500 rows — larger files are automatically trimmed and you are notified.
3
Or Drag & Drop the CSV File
Drag a CSV file from your file manager directly onto the map area. A blue drop indicator appears to confirm the file will be accepted. Release to upload. The map immediately zooms to your data after the file is processed.
4
Points Plotted on Map
The tool automatically detects the latitude and longitude columns in your CSV (checking common names: lat, latitude, y, lon, long, longitude, x). All valid coordinate rows are plotted as circles on the map and the view zooms to fit the entire dataset.
5
Click Any Point for Attributes
Click any circle marker on the map to open a popup showing all attributes from that CSV row — name, description, category, or any custom column you have. The latitude and longitude are always shown at the top. A WhatsApp share button lets you send the point details.
6
Change Point Colour
Click the colour swatch in the toolbar to open the colour picker. Choose any colour for your data points — all markers update instantly without re-uploading the file. Use contrasting colours when switching to satellite basemap.
7
Adjust Point Size
Drag the size slider (3–20 px) to change the radius of all plotted circles. Larger points are easier to click on mobile. Smaller points help when many coordinates are clustered together. All markers update live as you drag the slider.
8
Switch to Satellite Imagery
Click "Satellite" in the basemap switcher to view your data points over high-resolution aerial imagery. Satellite view is particularly useful for verifying that coordinate data aligns with real-world features such as buildings, roads or field boundaries.
9
Manual Column Selection
If the tool cannot automatically detect the latitude and longitude columns (e.g. columns named "coord_y" and "coord_x"), a yellow prompt appears with dropdown selectors. Choose the correct columns and click "Plot Map" to continue.
10
Download Sample CSV
Click the "Sample" button to download a ready-made CSV with six world landmarks. Open it in Excel or any text editor to see the expected format: a header row with name, lat, lng and optional attribute columns. Use it as a template for your own data.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What CSV format does the tool accept?
- The tool accepts any standard comma-separated values (.csv) file. The file must have a header row with column names. It must contain at least two columns with geographic coordinates — one for latitude and one for longitude — in decimal degree format (e.g. 51.5074 for latitude, -0.1278 for longitude). Any additional columns (name, description, category, etc.) are shown as attributes in the point popup. Column names are auto-detected — common names like lat, latitude, y, lon, long, longitude, and x are recognised automatically.
- How many points can I plot at once?
- The tool plots up to 500 points per upload. If your CSV contains more than 500 rows, only the first 500 are displayed and a notice is shown. This limit exists to keep the tool responsive in the browser. For larger datasets, consider filtering your data to the most relevant subset, or use a desktop GIS application such as QGIS (free) which can handle millions of points.
- What coordinate format should my CSV use?
- Coordinates must be in decimal degrees (DD) — for example, latitude 51.5074 and longitude -0.1278 for London. Do not use degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS) format such as 51° 30' 26" N. Negative values represent south latitudes (below the equator) and west longitudes (west of the prime meridian). Latitude must be between -90 and 90; longitude between -180 and 180.
- What if the tool cannot detect my lat/lng columns?
- If your column names are not recognised automatically (e.g. "coord_y" and "coord_x"), a yellow panel appears with two dropdown selectors. Choose the correct latitude and longitude columns from your CSV headers and click "Plot Map". All other columns are treated as attribute data and shown in the point popup.
- Can I change the colour and size of the plotted points?
- Yes — both controls are in the toolbar. The colour swatch opens a colour picker where you can choose any colour; all markers update instantly. The size slider (range 3–20 pixels) adjusts the radius of all circle markers live. These settings apply to all points — per-point styling based on attribute values is not supported in this free tool.
- What information appears when I click a point?
- Clicking a point opens a popup showing the decimal latitude and longitude at the top, then a table listing all other columns from that CSV row as key-value pairs. If your CSV has a "name" column, it appears in the table. A WhatsApp share button at the bottom lets you send the point's coordinates and attributes as a formatted message.
- Can I drag and drop a CSV file onto the map?
- Yes — drag any .csv file from your file manager and drop it anywhere on the map area. A blue dashed border and drop indicator appear when you drag over the map. The file is processed and all points plotted as soon as you release.
- What basemaps are available?
- Three basemaps are available: Street (OpenStreetMap default), Satellite (Esri World Imagery aerial photography), and Terrain (Esri World Topo topographic map). Switch between them using the buttons in the toolbar. All point data remains on the map when switching basemaps.
- How do I clear the map and upload a different file?
- Click the red "Clear" button (visible after a file is loaded) to remove all points and reset the map to the world view. You can then upload a new CSV file. Alternatively, clicking "Browse CSV" and selecting a new file while data is already loaded will replace the current dataset.
- Is this free, and does my CSV data get uploaded anywhere?
- It's free, and no — your file never leaves your device. The CSV is parsed entirely in your browser with JavaScript, so there's nothing to log into and nothing sent to a server, even for sensitive location data. Map exports carry no watermark.
Related Tools
- Address to Lat/Lng — Convert street addresses to GPS coordinates to populate your CSV
- Reverse Geocoding — Convert coordinate pairs in your CSV back to street addresses
- GPX Viewer — View GPS track files (GPX) on a map with elevation profiles
- Digitize GIS Data — Draw points, lines and polygons and export as CSV, GeoJSON or KML
- Radius Map — Draw a radius circle around any coordinate from your dataset
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors (street view) and © Esri (satellite & terrain). CSV parsing powered by PapaParse. Map rendering by Leaflet.