GIS professionals know that acquiring map data can be one of the biggest and most expensive stumbling blocks in a mapping project. That's why we're now offering the free geographic data of OpenStreetMap.org in ready-to-download Shapefiles that work natively with our Map Suite developer controls and applications. Detailed map data is available for many nations of the world, is separated by country, and is updated weekly.
To download the data, visit our Evaluation Downloads page.
What Is OpenStreetMap?
OpenStreetMap is an online, crowdsourced database of geographic information, made available in a manner similar to Wikipedia. Its users gather location data from a variety of sources and upload it to OpenStreetMap, where it can later be reviewed, edited and corrected as necessary by others. Because this data is unencumbered by costly licensing or royalties, it's one of the most affordable ways to start creating detailed* and up-to-date maps of your region.
Recognizing the value of OpenStreetMap as an affordable and accurate source of geographic data, we've put together a free repository of this data on our own OpenStreetMap Data Server that has been converted to industry-standard Shapefile (.shp) format. This makes it easier for GIS professionals to use with Map Suite and the other GIS software that they're already familiar with.
Advantages of ThinkGeo's OpenStreetMap Shapefile Data
- We convert OpenStreetMap’s data into Shapefile (.shp) format for native use with Map Suite.
- Maps can be downloaded and used locally without requiring an Internet connection or relying on potentially slow WMS services.
- Detailed data is available for many countries of the world.
- Maps are often updated more frequently than data from other sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Data is offered free of charge under the Open Database License.
Available Layers
The data on our OpenStreetMap Data Server is separated by country, with each country having its own downloadable package. Every package that you download contains an individual Shapefile for each of the following layers. For more details about these layers and what their various data columns mean, please see the Data Details page or click on any layer name below.
| Layer |
Type |
Description |
| adminareas_lvlxx.shp |
Polygon |
Administrative areas representing national and subnational regions. |
| boundaries.shp |
Line |
Borders between countries/states |
| buildings.shp |
Polygon |
Building outlines |
| coastline.shp |
Line |
Coastline (where applicable) |
| landuse.shp |
Polygon |
Forests, residential areas, industrial areas, etc. |
| places.shp |
Point |
Cities, towns, suburbs, villages, etc. |
| pofw.shp |
Point |
Places of worship such as churches, mosques, etc. |
| pois.shp |
Point |
Points of interest including schools, government offices, etc. |
| power.shp |
Point |
Power generators, substations, etc. |
| powerlines.shp |
Line |
Power lines |
| railways.shp |
Line |
Railway, subways, light rail, trams, etc. |
| railwaystations.shp |
Point |
Railway stations and halts, tram stops, etc. |
| roads.shp |
Line |
Roads, tracks, paths, etc. |
| water.shp |
Polygon |
Lakes, etc. |
| waterways.shp |
Line |
Rivers, canals, streams, etc. |
How To Download
Make sure you are logged in to this website, then visit our Evaluation Downloads page to access our OpenStreetMap Data Server.
Please note that the data server may not yet include all of the world's countries. If you need OpenStreetMap Shapefile data for a country that is not yet available, please let us know.
*Data detail varies by region and is based solely on user contributions to OpenStreetMap.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Data is made available under the Open Database License.
View Data Details