TopoJSON (Topology-Aware JSON)
Open BetaTopoJSON is a topology-aware extension of GeoJSON. Uses shared-arc encoding (boundaries between polygons stored only once) and integer quantization of coordinates — the resulting file is 60-80% smaller than equivalent GeoJSON. Standard input for D3.js, Mapshaper, and Observable; ideal for interactive choropleth maps and web atlases.
Key Features
About TopoJSON Format
TopoJSON was invented by Mike Bostock, the author of D3.js, to solve a simple problem: in GeoJSON neighboring polygons store their shared border twice. TopoJSON moves all the lines into a common array of arcs that the objects then refer to. On top of that, coordinates are rounded to an integer grid and written as increments — the file gets sharply lighter.
The format is taken for web graphics and analytics: choropleths in D3, interactive atlases, boundary maps in Observable, lightweight layers for offline applications. The second motive is simplification: during generalization the shared borders move together, and no gaps appear between neighboring districts.
The output is a single document: every layer becomes a separate object inside it — roads, buildings, water and so on — and object attributes are preserved. Coordinates are in WGS84, up to 100,000 objects per layer. The topology is built by our own code, with no external dependencies.
The price of compactness is the rounding of coordinates. The grid step depends on the size of the area: for a district it is on the order of a meter, for a country hundreds of meters. For a web map that is invisible; for precise measurements take GeoJSON or GeoPackage.
What Program Opens TopoJSON Files
The following programs and applications can open, edit, and work with TopoJSON (Topology-Aware JSON) (.topojson) files exported from OSM2CDR:
Format specifications
- Open standard
- 2D only
- Lossless (no quality loss)
- Stores feature attributes
- Output: 1 file
- TopoJSON (open spec). Topologically encoded GeoJSON: shared borders stored once, file size 30-80% smaller. Used by D3.js.
Who Uses TopoJSON Maps
How to Export TopoJSON
How to Open After Export
- D3.js — include topojson-client and unpack the layer you need: topojson.feature(topology, topology.objects.buildings), then the usual d3.geoPath.
- Mapshaper — drag the file onto mapshaper.org: objects and attributes are visible, and simplification and export to SHP or GeoJSON are right there.
- QGIS — opens .topojson as an ordinary vector layer through GDAL; handy for checking the geometry with your own eyes.
- Converting to GeoJSON — topo2geo buildings=buildings.geojson < map.topojson from the topojson-client package, or ogr2ogr.
- Leaflet and MapLibre — they do not understand the format directly: unpack it into GeoJSON on the client with the topojson-client library and feed it on as usual.
Popular maps in TopoJSON
Get TopoJSON (Topology-Aware JSON) map exports
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