How to open a GPX file on Windows

What Windows does and doesn't do natively

Windows has no built-in GPX viewer. The system recognizes the .gpx extension as a file but ships no application that renders the route. Concretely:

• File Explorer double-click. Opens the "How do you want to open this file?" dialog the first time, then routes future double-clicks to whatever the user picked. The default suggestion is usually Notepad (since Windows recognizes the file as text-like XML), which shows the file content as text but not the route.
• Notepad and Notepad++. Open .gpx as XML — useful for inspecting waypoints, trackpoints, namespaces, and extensions, but not for visualizing the route. Useful for debugging a corrupted file before going to a viewer.
• Microsoft Edge. Drag-and-drop a .gpx onto an Edge tab does nothing useful by default — Edge tries to navigate to a non-existent URL or display the file as XML. Edge handles the file picker correctly, so the viewer at viewmygpx works through that interface.
• Windows 11 Maps app. Cannot import GPX. The Maps app shipped on Windows 10/11 has been in maintenance mode for years; Microsoft began deprecating it in Windows 11 24H2. Even when fully active, it never supported GPX import.
• OneDrive sync. .gpx files in a synced OneDrive folder behave like any other synced file — File Explorer access on Windows, web access at onedrive.live.com, and so on. OneDrive itself does not render the route.

Practically, the Windows path for a GPX file is one of two: browser viewer for visualization (the fastest answer) or a dedicated desktop app for sustained work, multi-file comparisons, or syncing to a Garmin or other GPS device over USB.

The simplest path: viewmygpx in Edge or Chrome

For visualization without an install, the browser-based viewer is the fastest path on Windows. The full flow takes under a minute:

1. Open Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Brave. Any modern Windows browser handles the drag-and-drop and the file picker correctly. Edge ships on every Windows install, so it's the no-install starting point.
2. Go to viewmygpx.com. Homepage is the viewer.
3. Drag the .gpx from File Explorer onto the drop zone. Or click the drop zone to use the file picker. Both paths work identically.
4. The route renders. The viewer parses the file and draws the polyline on the map, generates the elevation profile, and computes the stats panel.
5. Optional — convert and download. The viewer offers one-click conversion to KML, KMZ, CSV, or GeoJSON. The converted file lands in your Downloads folder via the browser's normal download mechanism.

Nothing uploads to a server. Parsing happens entirely in the browser via the built-in DOMParser. The map tile provider sees the geographic area being rendered (necessary for tile requests), not the file content.

The best Windows desktop apps for GPX files

For sustained work — multiple files, edits, syncing to a handheld GPS, or 3D terrain visualization — a desktop app is the right tool. The major options on Windows:

GPXSee — best free dedicated GPX viewer

Free, open source, Windows-native. Renders GPX, KML/KMZ, FIT, IGC, NMEA, and several other GPS-format files over OpenStreetMap or Esri tiles. Lightweight (under 30 MB install), no telemetry, no signup, no subscription. Supports multi-file overlay (compare two routes on one map), elevation profiles, distance and pace charts. The right choice when you want a focused desktop GPX viewer without Google Earth's heft. Download at gpxsee.org.

Google Earth Pro for Windows — best for 3D terrain

Free, full-featured. Imports GPX directly via File → Open or File → Import; renders the route as a 3D path over real terrain; supports KML/KMZ side-by-side. The 3D rendering is the strongest visual outside a satellite-tile viewer. Download from google.com/earth/about/versions (the desktop "Earth Pro" download). The Google Earth guide covers Earth Pro vs Earth Web.

Garmin BaseCamp for Windows — for Garmin device owners

Free Windows app from Garmin. Designed for managing routes destined for older Garmin handhelds and Edge units connected via USB. Imports GPX directly, supports route planning over Garmin's topo maps, and pushes routes to mounted devices. BaseCamp is in maintenance mode — Garmin's active investment is in Garmin Connect — but it still works on current Windows for handhelds that don't support cloud-only flows. The Garmin Connect guide covers the cloud path for modern devices.

QGIS — free, open source, professional

QGIS is the open-source desktop GIS standard. It runs on Windows (free download), imports GPX as a vector layer, supports every format and projection, and is the right tool for any workflow that mixes GPX with other geospatial data (orthophotos, elevation rasters, vector boundaries). Steep learning curve. Free.

Microsoft Store apps (GPX Viewer, GPX Editor)

The Microsoft Store has several free and paid GPX-themed apps — quality varies by developer. Some are polished single-developer apps, others are basic. They're a fine choice when you want a Microsoft-Store-managed install for organizational reasons; for raw capability, GPXSee and Google Earth Pro are stronger.

GPSBabel — command-line conversion

Free, mature, Windows-supported. Converts between GPX and dozens of other GPS formats (FIT, TCX, KML, NMEA, etc), merges files, filters trackpoints, and runs in batch from PowerShell or Command Prompt. The right tool for scripted workflows. Has a basic GUI for one-off conversions, but shines in scripts. Free at gpsbabel.org.

Setting Windows to open .gpx in a default app

If you regularly work with GPX files on Windows, set a default handler so double-clicks in File Explorer go straight to your preferred app:

1. In File Explorer, right-click any .gpx file.
2. Select Open with → Choose another app.
3. Pick the desired app from the list (GPXSee, Google Earth Pro, BaseCamp, etc). If it's not in the list, click More apps and browse to its installer location (typically C:\Program Files\).
4. Check Always use this app to open .gpx files before clicking OK.

For browser-based handling, the recommendation is to leave .gpx unmapped (so File Explorer prompts) and bookmark viewmygpx.com — then drag the file from File Explorer to the open browser tab. Mapping a browser as the default file-opener is awkward on Windows; mapping a local app is cleaner.

To change a default later, go to Settings → Apps → Default apps → Choose defaults by file type (Windows 10) or Settings → Apps → Default apps → Set defaults for file types (Windows 11), find .gpx in the list, and click the icon to change the handler.

Sending a GPX to a Garmin device over USB

Older Garmin handhelds (eTrex, Oregon, GPSMAP, Montana) and cycle units that predate cloud sync (older Edge models) accept GPX directly from a mounted USB drive:

1. Plug the Garmin into Windows via USB. Windows mounts the device as a removable drive (typically named "Garmin" or "GARMIN").
2. Open the drive in File Explorer.
3. Navigate to Garmin / NewFiles (or the device's designated GPX folder — varies by model). Some devices use Garmin / GPX instead.
4. Copy the .gpx into that folder. The filename does not matter for the device; some devices re-organize the file into a permanent location on next startup.
5. Eject and disconnect. The Garmin scans for new files at boot and the route appears under Tracks/Routes/Courses (the menu name depends on model).

For modern Garmin devices that sync via Garmin Connect (Edge 830, Edge 1040, fenix 7, Forerunner 965), the cloud path through Garmin Connect is cleaner — the Garmin Connect guide covers the Activity vs Course distinction and the proper navigation behavior on the device.

Common pitfalls

File opens in Notepad as XML

That is Windows's fallback for text-like files without a registered handler. The fix is to set a default GPX handler via right-click → Open with → Choose another app, or drop the file onto viewmygpx.com in Edge instead of double-clicking.

"How do you want to open this file?" prompt every time

Windows asks because no app is registered as the default GPX handler. To stop the prompt, pick an app and check "Always use this app to open .gpx files." If you want to keep switching between viewers, leave it unmapped and consciously route through a browser tab or by right-click → Open with.

Garmin device doesn't see the file after USB transfer

The folder name varies by Garmin model. Check the device documentation — some accept GPX in Garmin/NewFiles, others in Garmin/GPX, others in a Courses subfolder. Make sure Windows finished the file copy before ejecting (large files can have a delayed write). For modern devices, the cloud path via Garmin Connect is more forgiving.

Edge or Chrome shows the GPX as XML in a tab

That happens when you click a link to a .gpx URL directly. The browser navigates to the URL and renders the XML as text. The fix is to right-click the link → Save link as, then drag the saved file onto an open viewmygpx.com tab.

GPX file shows the wrong extension after download

Some servers serve GPX with a Content-Type that browsers map to .xml or .txt. Rename the file to .gpx in File Explorer (you may need to enable "File name extensions" in View → Show); the file content does not change, only the extension. Most apps then handle the file correctly.

Privacy on Windows

A GPX file is plain XML — no script, no executable, no embedded tracker. The only sensitive data is the coordinates. When you drag a file onto viewmygpx in Edge or Chrome, the file never leaves the PC: parsing runs in the browser, the polyline draws in the browser, the conversion to KML or CSV also runs in the browser. The map tile provider sees the geographic area being rendered, not the file content.

Desktop apps like GPXSee, Google Earth Pro, and BaseCamp keep the file local — they do not upload to a server when you import a GPX. Earth syncs your saved-places list to your Google account when you explicitly save to "My Places." BaseCamp keeps files entirely on disk. The viewmygpx privacy policy covers what the site itself collects (effectively nothing about file content).

Sources

• TopoGrafix — GPX 1.1 schema
• GPXSee — Free GPS viewer for Windows, Mac, Linux
• Google Earth — Versions and download
• Garmin — BaseCamp for Windows and Mac
• GPSBabel — Convert and transfer GPX files
• Microsoft Learn — File types and default app associations