GeoContourPlot
✖
GeoContourPlot
makes a geo contour plot from values vali defined at specified locations loci.
Details and Options




- GeoContourPlot is also known as an isopleth map and thematic map.
- GeoContourPlot displays contour lines on a map where the fields of values interpolated from the geo locations are all the same.
- The geographic locations loci can be given in the following forms:
-
GeoPosition[{lat,lon}] latitude and longitude Entity[…] geographic entity Dated[ent,date] dated entity - Multiple locations locs can be given in the following forms:
-
{reg1,reg2,…} list of individual locations GeoPosition[{pos1,pos2,…}] array of geo positions EntityClass[…] class of geo entities - The values vali can be given in the following forms:
-
vali positive number Quantity[vali,unit] magnitude with units - Multiple values vals can be given in the following forms:
-
{val1,val2,…} list of individual values QuantityArray[{val1,val2,…},unit] array of quantities - In GeoContourPlot[data], data can be given in the following forms:
-
<loc1val1,loc2val2,… > association of keys and values GeoPosition[{{lat1,lon1,elev1},…}] geo positions with elevations as the values WeightedData[…] positions with weights for values - GeoContourPlot has the same options as GeoGraphics, with the following additions and changes: [List of all options]
-
BoundaryStyle None how to draw RegionFunction boundaries BoxRatios Automatic effective 3D bounding box ratios ClippingStyle None how to draw values clipped by PlotRange ColorFunction Automatic how to color the plot ColorFunctionScaling True whether to scale the argument to ColorFunction ContourLabels Automatic how to label contour levels Contours Automatic how many or what contours to use ContourShading None how to shade regions between contours ContourStyle Automatic the style for contour lines InterpolationOrder None the polynomial degree in each variable of the interpolated density between data points LightingAngle None effective angle of the simulated light source MaxPlotPoints Automatic the maximum number of points to include Mesh None how many mesh lines in each direction to draw MeshFunctions {#1&,#2&} how to determine the placement of mesh lines MeshStyle Automatic the style for mesh lines Method Automatic the method to use for interpolation and data reduction PerformanceGoal $PerformanceGoal aspects of performance to try to optimize PlotLegends None legends for color gradients PlotTheme $PlotTheme overall theme for the plot RegionFunction (True&) how to determine whether a point should be included ScalingFunctions None how to scale individual coordinates - ColorFunction is supplied with a single argument, given by default by the scaled value of vali.
-
AlignmentPoint Center the default point in the graphic to align with AspectRatio Automatic ratio of height to width Axes False whether to draw axes AxesLabel None axes labels AxesOrigin Automatic where axes should cross AxesStyle {} style specifications for the axes Background None background color for the plot BaselinePosition Automatic how to align with a surrounding text baseline BaseStyle {} base style specifications for the graphic BoundaryStyle None how to draw RegionFunction boundaries BoxRatios Automatic effective 3D bounding box ratios ClippingStyle None how to draw values clipped by PlotRange ColorFunction Automatic how to color the plot ColorFunctionScaling True whether to scale the argument to ColorFunction ContentSelectable Automatic whether to allow contents to be selected ContourLabels Automatic how to label contour levels Contours Automatic how many or what contours to use ContourShading None how to shade regions between contours ContourStyle Automatic the style for contour lines CoordinatesToolOptions Automatic detailed behavior of the coordinates tool Epilog {} primitives rendered after the main plot FormatType TraditionalForm the default format type for text Frame False whether to put a frame around the plot FrameLabel None frame labels FrameStyle {} style specifications for the frame FrameTicks Automatic frame ticks FrameTicksStyle {} style specifications for frame ticks GeoBackground Automatic style specifications for the background GeoCenter Automatic center coordinates to use GeoGridLines None geographic grid lines to draw GeoGridLinesStyle Automatic style specifications for geographic grid lines GeoGridRange All projected coordinate range to include GeoGridRangePadding Automatic how much to pad the projected range GeoModel Automatic model of the Earth (or other body) to use GeoProjection Automatic projection to use GeoRange Automatic geographic area range to include GeoRangePadding Automatic how much to pad the geographic range GeoResolution Automatic average distance between background pixels GeoScaleBar None scale bar to display GeoServer Automatic specification of a tile server GeoZoomLevel Automatic zoom to use for geographic background GridLines None grid lines to draw GridLinesStyle {} style specifications for grid lines ImageMargins 0. the margins to leave around the graphic ImagePadding All what extra padding to allow for labels etc. ImageSize Automatic the absolute size at which to render the graphic InterpolationOrder None the polynomial degree in each variable of the interpolated density between data points LabelStyle {} style specifications for labels LightingAngle None effective angle of the simulated light source MaxPlotPoints Automatic the maximum number of points to include Mesh None how many mesh lines in each direction to draw MeshFunctions {#1&,#2&} how to determine the placement of mesh lines MeshStyle Automatic the style for mesh lines MetaInformation {} meta-information about the map Method Automatic the method to use for interpolation and data reduction PerformanceGoal $PerformanceGoal aspects of performance to try to optimize PlotLabel None an overall label for the plot PlotLegends None legends for color gradients PlotRange All range of values to include PlotRangeClipping False whether to clip at the plot range PlotRangePadding Automatic how much to pad the range of values PlotRegion Automatic the final display region to be filled PlotTheme $PlotTheme overall theme for the plot PreserveImageOptions Automatic whether to preserve image options when displaying new versions of the same graphic Prolog {} primitives rendered before the main plot RasterSize Automatic raster dimensions for the background data RegionFunction (True&) how to determine whether a point should be included RotateLabel True whether to rotate y labels on the frame ScalingFunctions None how to scale individual coordinates Ticks Automatic axes ticks TicksStyle {} style specifications for axes ticks
List of all options




Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (1)Summary of the most common use cases
Generate a contour map from elevation data around Crater Lake:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-jund3v


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-c25b9c

Use a relief map of the elevations for the background:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-3rvgq

Display the contours on a satellite image of the region:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-vfshoq

Scope (18)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Data (7)
Plot data associated with geo locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-pg2eff

Plot gridded values over a specified range of coordinates:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-d0o0u2

Use an Association with locations for keys and values for counts:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-jurmzr

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-l7a1q

Use WeightedData:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-d60sox


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-e15hiv

GeoRange is selected automatically based on the data locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-exam4f

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-rawkfx

Use GeoRange to focus on geographic areas of interest:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-xav0n

Specify the number of contours to use:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-b132k0


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-xoopv6

Use RegionFunction to restrict the density to a region:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-s9n4li

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-dhqoa

Presentation (11)
Shade regions between contour lines:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-f83jn8


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-4lopfb


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-wt7htg

Use a different geographical projection:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ziv10


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-kra0kv

Use specific colors between contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ig3qd

Show the plot on a street map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-fljfs4

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-fxyjd2


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-4i415v


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-m08dsm

Use specific colors between contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-pgj70v


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-tygvgo

Use different styles for the contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-mo1nna

Use a theme with bright contours on a gray map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-gguxcn

Options (53)Common values & functionality for each option
BoundaryStyle (2)
ColorFunction (2)
ColorFunctionScaling (1)
ContourLabels (1)
Contours (7)
Use 4 equally spaced contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-8qd9h1

Use automatic contour selection:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-v80198

Use at most 3 automatically selected contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-t7eqou


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-bcxh3w

Use specific contours with specific styles:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-k6j4c5

Use a function to generate a set of contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-tlc2ud

Have contours at the 20th- and 80th-percentile values:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-j4it3o

ContourShading (3)
The automatic shading is None to only show the contour lines:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-7y1j2f

Shade between contours using a color function:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-b9kxcr

Use an explicit list of colors between contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-0gihjm

ContourStyle (4)

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-fwyh08

The default contour style for data with elevations and a relief map GeoBackground is a black line for values above the sea level and a white line for values below:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-3jp8p8

The default contour style for data with elevations and a satellite map GeoBackground is a gray line:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-k2xcf

Use None to not show contour lines:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ht46ze

Alternate between red and dashed contour lines:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-yxn7yq


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-fmqy40

GeoBackground (2)
GeoCenter (1)
GeoGridLines (1)
GeoGridLinesStyle (1)
GeoModel (2)
GeoProjection (1)
Use GeoProjection to change the map projection:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-pqx9m9

GeoRange (1)
GeoRangePadding (1)
Use GeoRangePadding->None to remove padding:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-gdjfs5

Use 250 kilometers of padding on each side of the map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-bzwyzh

Specify padding for latitude only:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-fme5qe

Specify different padding on each side of the map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ehh04


https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-d1edt9

GeoScaleBar (1)
Show the plot with a scale bar in metric units:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-h433by

Show the plot with a scale bar in metric and imperial units:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-uw6652

Place the scale bar in the top-right corner:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ervhjq

GeoServer (1)
GeoZoomLevel (1)
Explicitly specify GeoZoomLevel to obtain a lower-resolution map rendering:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-f94znh

Explicitly specify GeoZoomLevel to obtain a higher-resolution map rendering:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-hq9lij

MaxPlotPoints (3)
GeoContourPlot normally uses all of the points in the dataset:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-md7smm

Limit the number of points used in each direction:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-j9d9p0

MaxPlotPoints imposes a regular grid on irregular data:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-bv7mzu

Mesh (2)
MeshFunctions (1)
MeshStyle (2)
PerformanceGoal (2)
PlotLegends (6)
No legend is used, by default:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-r6lohe

Include a legend for shaded contours:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-s6n0i3

Legends automatically use the same colors as the density plot:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-mfe2qp

Use Placed to change legend placement:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-hfccwg

Use BarLegend to customize the legend:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-mz7qba

Legends automatically select shaded contours to label:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-59ecsp

PlotTheme (1)
Applications (2)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
Show contour elevations on a disk of 5 kilometers centered on the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-845qi

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-bz253t

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-ly1df7

Generate a contour map of temperatures in the United States:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-xdi06

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-dttnqp

Properties & Relations (10)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
Draw contours through general data with ListContourPlot:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-36jtol

Smoothly shade a map using color with GeoDensityPlot:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-i0ryln

Use GeoBubbleChart to show values with scaled bubbles:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-2zuimi

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-zbtuwp

Use GeoRegionValuePlot to show values with colored regions:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-s8d8l7

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-3r0kyy

Use GeoHistogram to aggregate locations into bins:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-1hew1t

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-k3ohaf

Use GeoSmoothHistogram to generate smooth densities from locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-v6zbbd

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-wptz1e

Use GeoListPlot for individual locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-t15ofl

Use GeoVectorPlot and GeoStreamPlot for vector fields:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-skckb6

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-msbrcl

Use GeoGraphValuePlot to show the values on geographic networks:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-3cdnt4

Plot relationships between geographic locations on a map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0b0lg4y3cn2-x9qufl

Wolfram Research (2020), GeoContourPlot, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (2020), GeoContourPlot, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html.
Wolfram Research (2020), GeoContourPlot, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2020. "GeoContourPlot." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html.
Wolfram Language. 2020. "GeoContourPlot." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2020). GeoContourPlot. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html
Wolfram Language. (2020). GeoContourPlot. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_geocontourplot, author="Wolfram Research", title="{GeoContourPlot}", year="2020", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html}", note=[Accessed: 31-March-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_geocontourplot, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={GeoContourPlot}, year={2020}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoContourPlot.html}, note=[Accessed: 31-March-2025
]}