KMZ to DXF (AutoCAD) converter
Upload your KMZ file and get DXF, which opens in AutoCAD in a couple of minutes: osm2cdr reads the geometry of your file and hands you a ready DXF 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 DXF straight from the OpenStreetMap map: you simply pick an area on the map, choose the DXF format and download the result with up-to-date OSM data — with layers for buildings, roads, water and features.
How KMZ differs from DXF
| Format | Extension | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| KMZ | .kmz | GIS | Google Earth, presentations, geodata exchange, embedded images |
| DXF | .dxf | CAD | Site plans, engineering surveys, importing maps into AutoCAD, land planning |
How to get DXF on osm2cdr
- 1Select an area on the map on the osm2cdr home page
- 2Choose the DXF format and, if needed, a style and CRS
- 3Click Export and download the ready DXF file
DXF format properties
| Extension | .dxf |
| Type | CAD |
| Purpose | Site plans, engineering surveys, importing maps into AutoCAD, land planning |
When you need DXF
The main scenario is simple: you already have a KMZ file — upload it and osm2cdr returns DXF, 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 DXF 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 KMZ → DXF
Drop in a KMZ file and osm2cdr reads its geometry and returns DXF; and with no file of your own, the same DXF is built straight from the OpenStreetMap map for your chosen area. Either way the data model changes. Going KMZ → DXF, 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 DXF straight from OpenStreetMap data, so an intermediate KMZ file is not needed.
Upload your own KMZ file → DXF
No need to hunt for a third-party converter anymore: drop your KMZ file in the form above and osm2cdr will read the geometry and hand you a ready DXF. Files up to 50 MB are supported; processing runs on our servers and the result is ready to download as soon as it finishes.
OpenStreetMap and KML to AutoCAD: three ways
A ready drawing from this page is not the only route. The guide compares three: a DXF export from the map builder, import in AutoCAD Map 3D and Civil 3D, and QGIS with ogr2ogr — plus KML and KMZ to DWG.
The DXF format in depth
KMZ to DXF: the contents of a Google Earth archive in an open drawing format
When a KMZ arrives from colleagues and will be handled in several programs (one person in nanoCAD, another in LibreCAD, a third in a vector editor), DXF is the easiest common ground. It is open, plain text and understood by practically any software that deals with drawings.
Land surveyors use this route when a landowner emails a KMZ of what they believe are their boundaries. So do designers preparing a directions map for a brochure, and teachers and students who need a plan of an area without buying AutoCAD.
The archive is unpacked on the server, the KML inside is read with GDAL, and you get back a single DXF with layers and labels.
What carries over and what gets lost
The DXF receives the vector part of the archive: placemarks, lines and polygons. Raster attachments such as image overlays, photos and icons stay behind, because the drawing is assembled from geometry only.
Attributes change shape. The KML field table is not written, though a feature's name may become text on the labels layer. Google Earth styles are replaced by the service's per-layer palette; areas without OSM tags end up on the buildings layer, lines on the roads layer and points on the places layer.
The output is a text DXF in AutoCAD 2007 (AC1021) format with Unicode labels. Placemark heights are not used and there are no arcs, only polylines. Coordinates are Web Mercator metres, and no .prj file is attached.
Step by step
- Save the KMZ from Google Earth Pro or export a My Maps layer as KMZ.
- Upload the archive on this page; DXF is already set as the target.
- Wait for processing to finish and download the .dxf.
- Open it like any drawing in nanoCAD or BricsCAD, via File, Open in LibreCAD, or through DXF import in Inkscape.
- If nothing shows, zoom to the drawing extents (_ZOOM then _E in AutoCAD-compatible programs).
- Assign colours and lineweights per layer to match your drawing standard, then save in whichever release you need.
Limits
Archives up to 50 MB and up to 200,000 features are accepted; archives with unsafe structure are refused.
DXF metres are Web Mercator metres: around Ghent (about 51° N) lengths are roughly 1.59 times the real ones.
Placemark descriptions, photos and network links are not carried over.
Photos and GroundOverlay images that Google Earth zips into the KMZ next to the markup do not reach the DXF: the drawing gets only the vector geometry of the KML inside the archive; with several KML files the first one found (usually doc.kml) is read. If you need the satellite picture underneath, attach it in CAD separately with _IMAGEATTACH and align it by two points.
Example result
Example: a landowner near Ghent sends a KMZ with the outline of their plot, a fence line and placemarks for a well and the gate. In the DXF the plot becomes a closed polyline on the buildings layer, the fence a line on the roads layer, and the well and gate labelled points on the places layer. A surveyor can open it in nanoCAD, overlay it on the measured plan and see at a glance how far the owner's boundaries drift from reality.
FAQ: KMZ → DXF
Can I upload my KMZ file?
Yes, now you can: upload your KMZ file right on this page and osm2cdr will read the geometry and convert it to DXF. 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 DXF.
Is it free?
Yes, exporting an OpenStreetMap map to DXF on osm2cdr is free. Select an area, the DXF format and download the result.
Which programs open DXF?
The DXF format opens in dedicated programs for its category. See the DXF format page for the full list and details.
Why is this better than an online KMZ → DXF converter?
An online converter caps the result quality at the quality of the source KMZ file. osm2cdr takes data from the OpenStreetMap source and builds DXF with correct layers directly — with no loss on an intermediate KMZ file.
Can I open the result without AutoCAD?
Yes. LibreCAD, QCAD, nanoCAD, BricsCAD, Inkscape and many cutting programs read DXF.
What does the service do with the KMZ archive?
It unpacks it safely, takes the embedded KML and processes its vector geometry. Raster attachments are not used.
Is the file good enough for cadastral work?
As a visual sketch, yes, but the coordinates are Web Mercator metres rather than a national grid. Reproject the data before any survey-grade use.
Why DXF 2007 specifically?
From that release on, DXF stores text as Unicode, so labels in any script display correctly.
Will my Google Earth colours be kept?
No. KMZ styles are replaced with the standard look; colour the layers in your CAD program.