OSM Water (osmdata.org)
OSM Water from osmdata.org provides global water body polygons from OpenStreetMap, covering lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and oceans in Shapefile and GeoJSON formats.
Format
Shapefile / GeoJSON
Geometry
Polygons
Coverage
Global
Resolution
Varies (OSM mapping density)
About this dataset
Global water body polygons extracted from OpenStreetMap including lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and ocean boundaries.
OSM Water provides global water body polygons extracted from OpenStreetMap data by osmdata.org. It includes lakes, rivers (as polygons), reservoirs, canals, and ocean boundaries, available as Shapefile and GeoJSON. The dataset is regularly updated from OSM and offers comprehensive global coverage of hydrographic features mapped by the OSM community.
How to download
- 1 Open the osmdata.org water data page.
- 2 Download the global water body file or regional extract.
- 3 Choose Shapefile or GeoJSON format.
- 4 Open in GeoDataViewer or QGIS to visualize water features.
FAQ
What water features are included?
OSM Water includes natural lakes, river polygons, reservoirs, canals, ocean boundaries, and other water body features extracted from OpenStreetMap.
How is this different from OSM coastlines?
OSM Water includes all inland and coastal water body polygons, while OSM coastlines specifically provide land-ocean boundary lines. This dataset includes coastlines as part of the ocean polygon.