Download Urban Areas
Dense urban and built-up areas worldwide
Natural Earth — public domain, free for any use
Download
GeoJSON and Shapefile download directly from Natural Earth servers. KML, GeoPackage, and FlatGeobuf are converted in your browser using GDAL.
GeoJSON
Open standard — works in QGIS, Mapbox, Leaflet
Shapefile (ZIP)
ESRI format — opens in QGIS and ArcGIS
KML
Google Earth compatible
converted in-browserGeoPackage
OGC single-file SQLite format
converted in-browserFlatGeobuf
Fast binary format for web GIS
converted in-browserAbout the Urban Areas Dataset
The Natural Earth urban areas dataset is a free, public domain vector layer produced by Natural Earth and maintained by the North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS). Dense urban and built-up areas worldwide.
Available at 10m, 50m scales, this dataset is widely used in GIS applications, web maps, academic research, and data visualisation.
Available Formats
GeoJSON
Widely supported open standard. Works directly in QGIS, Mapbox, Leaflet, and D3.js.
Shapefile (ZIP)
The standard for desktop GIS. Opens in QGIS, ArcGIS, MapInfo, and GRASS.
KML
Google Earth and Google Maps compatible. Converted in your browser via GDAL.
GeoPackage
OGC-standard SQLite format. A modern replacement for Shapefile in many workflows.
FlatGeobuf
Efficient binary format for streaming in web GIS applications.
License
All Natural Earth data is in the public domain. You may use, share, and adapt it for any purpose — commercial or non-commercial — without attribution required (though crediting Natural Earth is appreciated).