GeoPackage

Overview

GeoPackage (.gpkg) is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard for storing geospatial information in a self-contained SQLite database. It supports both vector features and raster tile data in a single portable file, making it the modern replacement for Shapefile.

Key Features

Feature	Description
Single File	All data in one .gpkg file
SQLite-based	Standard SQL queries work
Vector + Raster	Supports both data types
No Size Limit	Unlike 2GB Shapefile limit
Full Field Names	No 10-character limit
Multiple CRS	Different projections per layer
Null Values	Proper NULL support

Advantages Over Shapefile

Aspect	GeoPackage	Shapefile
File count	1	3-7+
Size limit	None	2 GB
Field names	128 chars	10 chars
Geometry types	Multiple per layer	Single
Coordinate systems	Multiple	Single
NULL values	Yes	No
Date/time fields	Yes	Limited

Structure

GeoPackage contains standard SQLite tables:

Table	Description
gpkg_contents	Catalog of contents
gpkg_spatial_ref_sys	Coordinate reference systems
gpkg_geometry_columns	Geometry column metadata
gpkg_tile_matrix	Tile matrix definitions
gpkg_tile_matrix_set	Tile extent and CRS

Usage Examples

GDAL/OGR

# convert shapefile to geopackage
ogr2ogr -f GPKG output.gpkg input.shp
 
# convert multiple shapefiles to layers
ogr2ogr -f GPKG output.gpkg input1.shp
ogr2ogr -f GPKG -update output.gpkg input2.shp
 
# query with SQL
ogrinfo output.gpkg -sql "SELECT * FROM layer WHERE area > 1000"

R

library(sf)
 
# read geopackage
parcels <- sf::st_read("data.gpkg", layer = "parcels")
 
# write geopackage
sf::st_write(parcels, "output.gpkg", layer = "parcels")
 
# list layers
sf::st_layers("data.gpkg")

Python

import geopandas as gpd
 
# read
gdf = gpd.read_file("data.gpkg", layer="parcels")
 
# write
gdf.to_file("output.gpkg", layer="parcels", driver="GPKG")

SQLite Direct Access

-- connect with sqlite3 and load spatialite
.load mod_spatialite
 
-- query features
SELECT * FROM parcels WHERE ST_Area(geom) > 10000;

When to Use

Choose GeoPackage when:

• Desktop GIS workflows (QGIS, ArcGIS)
• Data exchange between systems
• Archival storage
• Need multiple layers in one file
• Replacing Shapefiles

Consider alternatives when:

• Cloud analytics → GeoParquet
• Web streaming → FlatGeobuf
• Simple web API → GeoJSON

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Appendix

Created: 2024-12-23 | Modified: 2024-12-23

See Also

• MOC - Geospatial
• Guide - Geospatial File Format Selection
• Shapefile
• GeoJSON
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

Backlinks

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