> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cockroachlabs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Migrate from Shapefiles

export const InternalLink = ({version, path = "", children, ...props}) => {
  let detectedVersion = version || "stable";
  if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && !version) {
    const match = window.location.pathname.match(/\/docs\/([^/]+)/);
    if (match) {
      detectedVersion = match[1];
    }
  }
  const normalizedPath = path.startsWith("/") ? path.slice(1) : path;
  return <a href={`/docs/${detectedVersion}/${normalizedPath}`} {...props}>
      {children}
    </a>;
};

CockroachDB supports efficiently storing and querying <InternalLink path="query-spatial-data">spatial data</InternalLink>.

This page has instructions for migrating data from ESRI <InternalLink path="architecture/glossary#shapefile">Shapefiles</InternalLink> into CockroachDB using [`ogr2ogr`](https://gdal.org/programs/ogr2ogr.html) and <InternalLink path="import-into">`IMPORT INTO`</InternalLink>.

In the example below we will import a [tornadoes data set](http://web.archive.org/web/20201018170120/https://www.spc.noaa.gov/gis/svrgis/zipped/1950-2018-torn-initpoint.zip) that is [available from the US National Weather Service](https://www.spc.noaa.gov/gis/svrgis/) (NWS).

<Note>
  Please refer to the documentation of your GIS software for instructions on exporting GIS data to Shapefiles.
</Note>

## Before you begin

To follow along with the example below, you will need the following prerequisites:

* CockroachDB <InternalLink path="install-cockroachdb">installed</InternalLink> and <InternalLink path="start-a-local-cluster">running</InternalLink>
* [`ogr2ogr`](https://gdal.org/programs/ogr2ogr.html)

<Note>
  An `ogr2ogr` version of 3.1.0 or higher is required to generate data that can be imported into CockroachDB.
</Note>

* [Python 3](https://www.python.org)
* The tornado data:

  ```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
  curl -o 1950-2018-torn-initpoint.zip http://web.archive.org/web/20201018170120/https://www.spc.noaa.gov/gis/svrgis/zipped/1950-2018-torn-initpoint.zip && unzip 1950-2018-torn-initpoint.zip
  ```

## Step 1. Convert the Shapefile data to CSV

Navigate to the folder containing the data:

```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
cd 1950-2018-torn-initpoint/
```

Convert the Shapefile data to CSV using the following `ogr2ogr` command:

```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
ogr2ogr -f CSV tornadoes.CSV -lco GEOMETRY=AS_WKT 1950-2018-torn-initpoint.shp
```

You will import the CSV data into a CockroachDB table.

## Step 2. Host the file where the cluster can access it

Each node in the CockroachDB cluster needs to have access to the files being imported.  There are several ways for the cluster to access the data; for a complete list of the types of storage <InternalLink path="import-into">`IMPORT INTO`</InternalLink> can pull from, see <InternalLink path="import-into#import-file-location">Import file location</InternalLink>.

For local testing, you can <InternalLink path="use-a-local-file-server">start a local file server</InternalLink>.  The following command will start a local file server listening on port 3000:

```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
python3 -m http.server 3000
```

## Step 3. Prepare the CockroachDB database

Create a database to hold the bus-stop data:

```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
cockroach sql --insecure
```

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
CREATE DATABASE tornadoes;
USE tornadoes;
```

## Step 4. Create a CockroachDB table

To import the CSV data, you need to create a table with the necessary columns and data types.

Convert the Shapefile data to SQL using the following `ogr2ogr` command:

```shell theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
ogr2ogr -f PGDUMP tornadoes.sql -lco LAUNDER=NO -lco DROP_TABLE=OFF 1950-2018-torn-initpoint.shp
```

Create a CockroachDB table that corresponds to the DDL statements in `tornadoes.sql`:

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
CREATE TABLE tornadoes (
    wkb_geometry GEOMETRY(POINT) NULL,
    om NUMERIC NULL,
    yr NUMERIC NULL,
    mo NUMERIC NULL,
    dy NUMERIC NULL,
    date VARCHAR NULL,
    time VARCHAR NULL,
    tz NUMERIC NULL,
    st VARCHAR NULL,
    stf NUMERIC NULL,
    stn NUMERIC NULL,
    mag NUMERIC NULL,
    inj NUMERIC NULL,
    fat NUMERIC NULL,
    loss NUMERIC NULL,
    closs NUMERIC NULL,
    slat NUMERIC NULL,
    slon NUMERIC NULL,
    elat NUMERIC NULL,
    elon NUMERIC NULL,
    len NUMERIC NULL,
    wid NUMERIC NULL,
    fc NUMERIC NULL
);
```

## Step 5. Import the CSV

Since the file is being served from a local server and is formatted as CSV, you can import the data using the following <InternalLink path="import-into">`IMPORT INTO`</InternalLink> statement:

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-mocha","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
IMPORT INTO tornadoes CSV DATA ('http://localhost:3000/tornadoes.csv') WITH skip = '1';
```

```
        job_id       |  status   | fraction_completed | rows  | index_entries |  bytes
---------------------+-----------+--------------------+-------+---------------+-----------
  981219367971323905 | succeeded |                  1 | 63645 |             0 | 15681599
```

## See also

* <InternalLink path="import-into">`IMPORT INTO`</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="spatial-indexes">Spatial indexes</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="migrate-from-openstreetmap">Migrate from OpenStreetMap</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="migrate-from-geojson">Migrate from GeoJSON</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="migrate-from-geopackage">Migrate from GeoPackage</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink version="molt" path="migration-overview">Migration Overview</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink version="molt" path="migrate-to-cockroachdb?filters=mysql">Migrate from MySQL</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink version="molt" path="migrate-to-cockroachdb">Migrate from PostgreSQL</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="take-full-and-incremental-backups">Back Up and Restore Data</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="cockroach-sql">Use the Built-in SQL Client</InternalLink>
* <InternalLink path="cockroach-commands">`cockroach` Commands Overview</InternalLink>

[postgres]: migrate-from-postgres.html

[mysql]: migrate-from-mysql.html