GTFS to GeoJSON Converter

How to Import GTFS into ArcGIS

GTFS contains a wealth of useful transit data, including stop locations, route alignments, and schedule information. But because a GTFS feed is made up of interconnected text files rather than traditional GIS layers, getting that data into ArcGIS is not always as straightforward as opening a shapefile.

There are a few ways to work with GTFS in ArcGIS. If your goal is simply to map routes and stops alongside your other GIS data, converting the spatial portions of your GTFS feed to GeoJSON is one of the simplest options.

What geographic data is available in GTFS?

A standard GTFS Schedule feed contains several files that work together to describe a transit system. For GIS work, the most important are:

• stops.txt contains the latitude and longitude of stops and stations.
• shapes.txt contains the points that make up route alignments.
• routes.txt contains information about each route, such as its name, number, and color.
• trips.txt connects routes to the shapes used by individual trips.

Together, these files can be turned into GIS-ready point and line layers.

Option 1: Convert GTFS to GeoJSON

For many planning and mapping tasks, the easiest workflow is:

GTFS ZIP→GeoJSON→ArcGIS

GeoJSON is a widely supported geographic format that can store both geometry and attributes. Instead of manually joining several GTFS text files, you can convert the feed into GIS-ready route and stop layers first.

Use the RoutePress GTFS to GeoJSON Converter to upload a GTFS ZIP and create GeoJSON files from the routes and stops in your feed.

Once the conversion is complete:

1. Download the generated GeoJSON files.
2. Open your ArcGIS Pro project.
3. Add the GeoJSON data to your project.
4. Save or convert the resulting features into a geodatabase feature class if you plan to perform additional analysis.

This is a particularly useful workflow when you simply need transit routes and stops for a map, planning analysis, or project exhibit.

Option 2: Use ArcGIS Pro's GTFS tools

ArcGIS Pro also includes dedicated tools for working directly with GTFS.

For example:

• GTFS Stops To Features converts stops.txt into a point feature class.
• GTFS Shapes To Features converts shapes.txt into polyline features representing the paths traveled by transit vehicles.

These tools may be preferable if you are doing more advanced transit analysis entirely within ArcGIS Pro.

Which method should you use?

If you simply want to see your routes and stops in ArcGIS, converting the feed to GeoJSON is usually the quickest approach.

It works well for tasks such as:

• Mapping transit service
• Bus stop inventories
• Route planning
• Service coverage analysis
• Title VI or demographic overlays
• Coordination with cities and other agencies
• Creating planning maps and exhibits

If you are building a transit-enabled network dataset or performing more advanced schedule-based analysis, ArcGIS Pro's dedicated public transit tools provide more functionality.

A note about coordinate systems

GTFS stop and shape coordinates are expressed as latitude and longitude in WGS 84. When you bring the converted data into your GIS, you can project it into the coordinate system used by your organization or project.

The easiest way to get started

If you already have a GTFS ZIP and simply need the geographic data in ArcGIS, there is no need to manually extract and join the individual GTFS files.

Convert your GTFS feed to GeoJSON with the free RoutePress GTFS to GeoJSON Converter.

Upload your feed, download the resulting GIS files, and bring them directly into your mapping workflow.