GeoJSON to DWG (AutoCAD) converter
Upload your GeoJSON file and get DWG, which opens in AutoCAD in a couple of minutes: osm2cdr reads the geometry of your file and hands you a ready DWG straight away. Processing runs on our servers, the result is ready to download as soon as it finishes, and files up to 50 MB are supported. And if you have no file of your own, or need a fresh map of an area, osm2cdr builds DWG straight from the OpenStreetMap map: you simply pick an area on the map, choose the DWG format and download the result with up-to-date OSM data — with layers for buildings, roads, water and features.
How GeoJSON differs from DWG
| Format | Extension | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeoJSON | .geojson | GIS | Web mapping, geodata exchange via API, Leaflet/Mapbox visualization, analytics |
| DWG | .dwg | CAD | Architectural design, master plans, construction documentation, land surveying |
How to get DWG on osm2cdr
- 1Select an area on the map on the osm2cdr home page
- 2Choose the DWG format and, if needed, a style and CRS
- 3Click Export and download the ready DWG file
DWG format properties
| Extension | .dwg |
| Type | CAD |
| Purpose | Architectural design, master plans, construction documentation, land surveying |
When you need DWG
The main scenario is simple: you already have a GeoJSON file — upload it and osm2cdr returns DWG, ready to use in a dedicated program (editing, printing, analysis, embedding in a project). The alternative is for when you have no file at hand or need a fresh map of an area: the same DWG is then built straight from up-to-date OpenStreetMap data for your chosen area, split into layers for buildings, roads, water and features.
What changes when going GeoJSON → DWG
Drop in a GeoJSON file and osm2cdr reads its geometry and returns DWG; and with no file of your own, the same DWG is built straight from the OpenStreetMap map for your chosen area. Either way the data model changes. Going GeoJSON → DWG, GIS attribute tables are not carried into the drawing: geometry is laid out across named layers (buildings, roads, water) while coordinate accuracy is preserved. The result targets CAD work, not attribute analysis. osm2cdr builds DWG straight from OpenStreetMap data, so an intermediate GeoJSON file is not needed.
Upload your own GeoJSON file → DWG
No need to hunt for a third-party converter anymore: drop your GeoJSON file in the form above and osm2cdr will read the geometry and hand you a ready DWG. Files up to 50 MB are supported; processing runs on our servers and the result is ready to download as soon as it finishes.
The DWG format in depth
GeoJSON to DWG: web map data as an AutoCAD drawing
GeoJSON is the language of web maps and open data. Open-data portals publish it, geo APIs return it, and tools such as geojson.io, Leaflet and Mapbox are built around it. Developers and analysts handle it every day, but a .geojson file is of little use to someone drafting in AutoCAD; they need a DWG.
Requests usually look like this: a city portal publishes park boundaries or bike lanes as GeoJSON and a design office has to account for them; a front-end developer drew delivery zones that now go to a department working in AutoCAD; or the output of a Python spatial analysis has to be shown to a client in familiar CAD.
Upload a .geojson or .json file and the service reads the FeatureCollection with GDAL, sorts features into layers and saves a DWG.
What carries over and what gets lost
Under RFC 7946, GeoJSON coordinates are longitude and latitude in WGS84, so georeferencing is unambiguous. In the drawing they are converted to Web Mercator metres (EPSG:3857).
Properties do not turn into block attributes; the DWG receives geometry and labels only. If the properties include OSM keys such as building, highway or natural, features are split into thematic layers; without them polygons land on the buildings layer, lines on the roads layer and points on the places layer. simplestyle properties (stroke, fill, marker-color) are ignored.
Multi-geometries are broken down into simple polylines and points, and the third coordinate is not used. The DWG is written as AutoCAD 2018; if ODA File Converter fails, a DXF arrives with a warning.
Step by step
- Make sure the file is a valid FeatureCollection, for instance by opening it in geojson.io.
- Choose the .geojson or .json in the form on this page and start the conversion.
- A parse error is reported straight away; otherwise wait until the job is done and download the .dwg.
- Open the drawing in AutoCAD 2018+, BricsCAD or nanoCAD and run _ZOOM then _E.
- Turn on only the layers you need in _LAYER and lock them so the backdrop cannot be nudged while you work.
- To reuse the data in a project drawing, attach the DWG with _XREF and align it to your plan.
Limits
Files up to 50 MB, up to 200,000 features. Filter heavy open-data downloads to your area before uploading.
Around Austin (about 30° N) drawing lengths are roughly 1.16 times the real ones, a property of Web Mercator that grows towards the poles.
Nested objects and arrays inside properties are not used; a label is taken from the feature's name when one is recognised.
Fitting the result to a local grid happens in AutoCAD or nanoCAD itself: the drawing sits in EPSG:3857 metres with no .prj, so for a site-plan underlay pick two or three common points and run _ALIGN on them. A FeatureCollection mixing points, lines and polygons lands on separate layers per type, which _LAYOFF hides one click at a time.
Example result
Example: Austin's open-data portal publishes a GeoJSON with bike lanes, pocket-park boundaries and bike-rack points. In the DWG the lanes become polylines on the roads layer, the parks closed outlines on the buildings layer (or on a thematic layer if the features carry OSM tags), and the racks points on the places layer. It makes a convenient backdrop for sketching new routes directly in AutoCAD.
FAQ: GeoJSON → DWG
Can I upload my GeoJSON file?
Yes, now you can: upload your GeoJSON file right on this page and osm2cdr will read the geometry and convert it to DWG. Files up to 50 MB are supported. If the data comes from OpenStreetMap, you can skip the upload entirely — we'll export the map straight into DWG.
Is it free?
Yes, exporting an OpenStreetMap map to DWG on osm2cdr is free. Select an area, the DWG format and download the result.
Which programs open DWG?
The DWG format opens in dedicated programs for its category. See the DWG format page for the full list and details.
Why is this better than an online GeoJSON → DWG converter?
An online converter caps the result quality at the quality of the source GeoJSON file. osm2cdr takes data from the OpenStreetMap source and builds DWG with correct layers directly — with no loss on an intermediate GeoJSON file.
Do I have to specify a projection for GeoJSON?
No. GeoJSON stores coordinates in WGS84 by definition, and the service converts them itself.
Is the .json extension accepted?
Yes. .json and .geojson files are treated the same as long as the content is valid GeoJSON.
Are feature properties kept?
Not as data. The DWG gets geometry and labels, while OSM keys in properties help route features to thematic layers.
Does simplestyle styling apply?
No. stroke, fill and marker-color are ignored, and the drawing gets the standard per-layer look.
What if my AutoCAD is older than 2018?
Open the AutoCAD 2018 file in DWG TrueView and save it to an earlier release, or use the GeoJSON to DXF page.