Exporting Maps to Google Earth (KML/KMZ)

KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is Google's format for geographic data. KML and KMZ files open in Google Earth, Google Maps, ArcGIS, QGIS and many mobile apps. This is the simplest way to visualise OpenStreetMap data in three dimensions.

KML vs KMZ

• KML — a text XML file. Easy to edit, but larger in size.
• KMZ — compressed KML (a ZIP archive). 5–10 times more compact and supports embedded images.

For most tasks we recommend KMZ — smaller size and faster loading.

Viewing in Google Earth

1. Export the area to KML or KMZ on osm2cdr.ru.
2. Open Google Earth Pro or Google Earth Web.
3. File → Open → select the downloaded file.
4. The OpenStreetMap data is overlaid on Google's satellite imagery.

What the export includes

A KML file from osm2cdr.ru contains:

• Polygons of buildings, parks and water bodies with attributes from OSM.
• Road lines with classification.
• Points of interest (POI) with names and categories.
• Styling by object type (colours, transparency).

Practical applications

• Presentations — virtual tours of a city with fly-overs in Google Earth.
• Education — studying urban structure and transport networks.
• Planning — overlaying OSM data on current imagery for comparison.
• Fieldwork — loading routes and points onto a mobile phone.

Alternatives

If Google Earth is not suitable: GPX for navigation units, GeoJSON for web maps, Shapefile for professional GIS.