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Cartahaven

Free tool

Is my PDF a GeoPDF?

Pick a PDF map to see whether it has location data and where it lands on a map. It’s free, with no account.

A USGS topo map in the Cartahaven app with the blue GPS dot, a track being recorded, and Layers, Tools, Mark, Record and Locate buttons along the bottom

What makes a PDF a GeoPDF

A GeoPDF is a PDF map with coordinates built in. It looks like any other PDF, but it also records where each part of the page sits on the ground. That lets a map app draw your GPS position on the sheet, measure distances and record your track.

A plain PDF of a map holds only the picture. Both look the same in a PDF reader, which is why it’s hard to tell them apart by eye.

If yours is a plain PDF

A scan of a paper map or a map exported as an ordinary PDF usually has no location data. You have two options:

  • Look for a geospatial version from whoever published the map. Agencies often offer one next to the regular download.
  • Add the location data yourself by matching a few points to a map. Our guide to georeferencing a scanned paper map shows how.

Your file stays on your device

The check runs in your browser, so the PDF isn’t uploaded to Cartahaven or anywhere else. If the file has location data, the background map for that area loads from OpenStreetMap. We count how many checks are run and their outcome, never the file name or location.

Questions

Which kinds of GeoPDF does it recognize?
It reads geospatial PDFs in the ISO 32000 (Adobe) format, the kind QGIS, ArcGIS and Global Mapper export, as well as TerraGo-style files in the projections we support. USGS topo quads and Forest Service MVUMs are common examples. It uses the same reader as the Cartahaven map app, so what it says here matches what the app will do with the file.
Is there a file size limit?
The checker has no limit of its own. It reads only the small parts of the file that hold the page and location data, so even a large map usually takes a few seconds.
Does it check every page of a map book?
It checks up to 300 pages and tells you how many have location data. A cover or index page without any is normal.
How do I use a GeoPDF on my phone?
Open a GeoPDF viewer and import the file. See GeoPDF maps offline on your phone for the steps.