A Shapefile to GeoJSON converter translates ESRI’s binary format into the open, web-friendly GeoJSON standard. Shapefiles power decades of GIS data but cannot be read directly by web maps or most modern tooling. This converter parses the geometry and attributes in your browser and emits a clean RFC 7946 FeatureCollection you can drop into Leaflet, Mapbox, QGIS, or a data pipeline.
How it works
The .shp file starts with a 100-byte header and then a list of records. Each record header carries a big-endian content length, while the geometry payload uses little-endian doubles. The converter reads each record’s shape type and decodes it: a Point becomes a GeoJSON Point, a multi-part line becomes a LineString or MultiLineString, and polygon rings are grouped using their signed area — clockwise rings are outer boundaries and counter-clockwise rings become holes — producing correct Polygon and MultiPolygon geometries.
If you include the .dbf, its dBASE header is read to learn each field’s name, type, and width. Records are decoded field by field, with numeric and float columns parsed into JSON numbers, and attached to the matching feature’s properties. A supplied .prj is reported so you know the source coordinate reference system.
Coordinate systems and tips
GeoJSON assumes WGS84 longitude/latitude. The tool outputs coordinates unchanged, so if your .prj indicates a projected system (for example a UTM zone or a national grid), reproject the result before using it on a slippy map. Because everything is parsed client-side, the converter works offline and keeps your data private.