Free online JPEG to KML converter

JPEG images must be placed at geographic coordinates before mapping software such as Google Earth can display them in the correct location. Converting one to KML therefore means creating a KML overlay that references the image and defines its geographic bounds, not merely changing the filename extension.

What the JPEG format is

JPEG, identified by the .jpg or .jpeg extension, is a raster image format designed for photographs and other continuous-tone images. Cameras, phones, scanners, image editors, web browsers, and office applications commonly create or export JPEG files.

JPEG uses lossy compression, so repeated editing and saving can reduce detail. A normal JPEG contains pixels but usually does not contain the latitude, longitude, coordinate reference system, or map extent needed to position the image geographically. Some cameras add GPS information as EXIF metadata, but that usually identifies the camera position rather than the boundaries of a scanned map, aerial photograph, or satellite image.

What the KML format is

KML, or Keyhole Markup Language, is an XML-based geographic format used by Google Earth, Google Maps-compatible applications, GIS software, and virtual globes. A KML file can describe points, lines, polygons, labels, 3D objects, links, and raster image overlays.

For a JPEG, the usual KML structure is a GroundOverlay. It references the image and supplies a LatLonBox containing the north, south, east, and west coordinates. The result is a map layer that can be viewed over satellite imagery and shared as a KML or compressed .kmz package.

How to actually convert JPEG to KML

Use Google Earth Pro for a single image

1. Install and open Google Earth Pro.
2. Navigate to the area where the JPEG belongs.
3. Choose Add → Image Overlay.
4. Enter a descriptive name and select the JPEG with Browse.
5. Use the transparency slider and the green handles to align the image with recognizable roads, coastlines, property boundaries, or other reference features. If the image is a scanned map, identify its corner coordinates from the map or its source data first.
6. Click OK. Google Earth Pro adds the overlay to the selected location in the Places panel.
7. Right-click the overlay and select Save Place As. Choose KML to save an editable text file, or KMZ to package the KML and image together.

A JPEG cannot be positioned accurately from the image alone. Google Earth Pro's interactive handles provide an approximate transformation; the result is suitable for visual reference but not necessarily for surveying or GIS measurement.

Use QGIS or GDAL for a georeferenced image

If the JPEG has a matching world file, such as map.jgw, and the coordinate information is known, use a GIS workflow:

1. In QGIS, choose Layer → Add Layer → Add Raster Layer and open the JPEG. Confirm that the layer appears at the correct location.
2. If the image has no spatial reference, use Raster → Georeferencer. Add control points with known coordinates, select an appropriate transformation, assign the correct CRS, and create a georeferenced output.
3. Export the georeferenced raster to KML or use GDAL's KML SuperOverlay driver. A typical command is gdal_translate -of KMLSUPEROVERLAY input.tif output.
4. Open the generated doc.kml or output folder in Google Earth. Keep the referenced image tiles and folder structure together.

For a simple, correctly georeferenced raster, QGIS can also export the visible map layer through Project → Import/Export → Export Map to Image, followed by a KML export workflow or GDAL processing. The exact menu names vary by QGIS version and installed providers.

Use the built-in online converter

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. An online converter can create the KML container, but accurate placement still requires geographic coordinates or georeferencing information; a plain JPEG normally does not provide the image bounds automatically.

Quality, compatibility, and limitations

The JPEG pixels are not made sharper by putting them in KML. KML stores the geographic reference and image link, while JPEG retains its original compression and resolution. Large images may load slowly, exceed application memory limits, or be divided into tiles by a SuperOverlay workflow.

A standalone KML may reference the JPEG by a relative filename, so moving the KML without the image can produce a missing overlay. KMZ is safer for sharing because it packages the KML and referenced image files in one ZIP-based archive.

KML coordinates use longitude and latitude in the WGS 84 datum. If the source data uses a projected CRS or another datum, reproject it before export. A basic GroundOverlay with north, south, east, and west bounds assumes a rectangular image aligned with north; rotated, skewed, or irregularly shaped imagery requires a more suitable georeferencing method or a tiled overlay.