Overpass query example

Glaciers

Draw glacier outlines in a mountain range. Example: the Bernese Alps.

Glaciers are areas tagged natural=glacier. The largest are multipolygons.

The query

[out:json][timeout:60];
wr["natural"="glacier"](46.40,7.75,46.62,8.25);
out geom;

Run it

Running the query…

Live result from overpass.ch, cached for up to 12 hours. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

How it works

The bounding box covers the Aletsch glacier and the Jungfrau region.
Glacier outlines change over the years. The data shows what mappers recorded most recently.

Variations

Named glaciers only: add ["name"].

Run it from your code

curl https://api.overpass.ch/v1/YOUR_API_KEY/interpreter \
  --data-urlencode 'data@query.overpassql'

import requests

query = open("query.overpassql").read()
r = requests.post("https://api.overpass.ch/v1/YOUR_API_KEY/interpreter",
                  data={"data": query}, timeout=120)
r.raise_for_status()
print(r.json()["elements"][:3])

const res = await fetch("https://api.overpass.ch/v1/YOUR_API_KEY/interpreter", {
  method: "POST",
  body: new URLSearchParams({ data: query }),
});
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(await res.text());
console.log(await res.json());

Save the query as query.overpassql. It works the same in Overpass Turbo, QGIS and JOSM.

More examples

Peaks higher than 4000 m

Compare numbers with an if: filter. Example: every Alpine summit above 4000 metres.

Named lakes of a country

Get lake outlines, including multipolygons, with their names. Example: Switzerland.

Rivers of a country

Draw the river network of a country from its waterway lines. Example: Slovenia.

Parks in a city

Get park outlines with their names. Example: Manhattan.

Trees by genus or species

Query the street trees of a city by genus. Example: the lime trees (Tilia) of Vienna.

Viewpoints

Find scenic viewpoints in a region. Example: around Lake Lucerne.

All examples →