Bounding Box (BBOX)
Overview
Bounding Box (BBOX) is a rectangular area defined by the minimum and maximum coordinates (latitude and longitude) that encompasses a spatial dataset or map extent. Bounding boxes are used extensively in spatial queries, web map requests, and data filtering.
Key Concepts
Min X (West) is the minimum longitude/easting. Min Y (South) is the minimum latitude/northing. Max X (East) is the maximum longitude/easting. Max Y (North) is the maximum latitude/northing. Axis order varies by standard (lon/lat vs lat/lon).
Formats
| Context | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| WMS 1.1 | minx,miny,maxx,maxy | -74.25,40.50,-73.70,40.92 |
| WMS 1.3 | (axis order varies) | 40.50,-74.25,40.92,-73.70 |
| GeoJSON | [minx, miny, maxx, maxy] | [-74.25, 40.50, -73.70, 40.92] |
| WKT | POLYGON from corners | POLYGON((…)) |
Appendix
Created: 2025-12-13 | Modified: 2025-12-13