Google Maps to Minecraft

Google MapsConversionOpenStreetMap

Google Maps to Minecraft

Find a real place the way you would on Google Maps — search an address, drop a pin, or paste coordinates — draw the area you want, and CartoVoxel converts that exact spot into a playable Minecraft world. Java or Bedrock, online, no install.

Updated Oct 17, 20265 min read

CartoVoxel is an independent web-based tool and is not affiliated with Google, Arnis, MapSmith, Mojang, or Microsoft. Google Maps is a trademark of Google LLC; Minecraft is a trademark of Mojang/Microsoft.

Quick Answer

You locate the place the way you would on Google Maps — type an address, search a landmark, or paste latitude/longitude — and draw a box around the area you want. CartoVoxel then builds that exact spot from open OpenStreetMap data, not Google's proprietary imagery, and converts it into a playable Minecraft world for Java or Bedrock. The whole thing runs in your browser, with nothing to install.

Convert a location now
Lower Manhattan and the East River bridges, generated as a Minecraft world by CartoVoxel

Find by

Address or coords

Install

None

Output

Java + Bedrock

What "Google Maps to Minecraft" really means

When people search "Google Maps to Minecraft," they almost always mean one thing: take the real place I'm looking at on a map and let me play it in Minecraft. That instinct is right — the part worth being clear about is where the world is actually built from.

Google's imagery, Street View, and 3D buildings are proprietary and cannot be exported to Minecraft. The honest, workable path is to locate the place the same way you would on Google Maps, then build that exact spot from open OpenStreetMap data. CartoVoxel does both halves for you — the find-the-place workflow and the conversion — in one browser flow.

Search an address

Type a street address, a city, or a campus name and the map jumps there — exactly the muscle memory you already have from Google Maps.

Drop a pin on the map

Pan and zoom to the spot you have in mind and place it visually. No coordinates required if you can simply see the place.

Paste coordinates

Already have a latitude/longitude from Google Maps? Paste it in to land on the exact point, then size the area around it.

Built from open map data

The world is generated from OpenStreetMap roads, water, and building footprints for that location — open data, not Google's imagery.

Real results

What a Google Maps location looks like in Minecraft

Every image below comes from real output. The comparison is the same Lower Manhattan area on the real map and as the Minecraft world our generator built from it.

Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge on the OpenStreetMap map
Real map
The same Lower Manhattan area as a generated Minecraft world, seen from above
Minecraft world

Same area, about 4.5 × 3 km: Battery Park to Houston Street, plus DUMBO across the East River. The Minecraft side is a top-down render of a world generated by CartoVoxel's current production engine on Oct 12, 2026; nothing was edited by hand.Real map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Shanghai Lujiazui skyscrapers as a Minecraft world in a 3D viewer

3D sample

Fly around Shanghai Lujiazui in 3D

A selected sample world you can orbit and explore in the browser: skyscrapers, roads, parks and the riverfront, all built from real map data.

Open the 3D sample

Free real-world maps to download

Want to try one first? Download a ready-made city or landmark for Java or Bedrock, then make your own place.

See all free maps
Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island — New York City Minecraft map previewNew York CityUnited States · 20 km²Eiffel Tower district — Paris Minecraft map previewParisFrance · 20 km²South Rim terrain — Grand Canyon Minecraft map previewGrand CanyonUnited States · 20 km²Heidelberg Old Town — Heidelberg Minecraft map previewHeidelbergGermany · 20 km²Great Pyramid area — Giza Minecraft map previewGizaEgypt · 20 km²River Thames corridor — London Minecraft map previewLondonUnited Kingdom · 20 km²

Recommended next steps

Move from the idea to a converted world.

StartMake a Minecraft mapThe fastest way to turn a real place into blocks.
ToolMinecraft map generatorSee how the online generator converts any location.
PricingPricingSee prices by area and how much the free credits take off.

How CartoVoxel converts a location into Minecraft

The flow is simple: a place becomes coordinates, coordinates fetch open map data, and that data is converted into blocks. When you find a spot — by address, pin, or coordinates — CartoVoxel resolves it to a precise location, just like dropping a pin on Google Maps.

From there it pulls the OpenStreetMap layers for that exact area — roads, rivers, coastlines, and building outlines — plus global elevation data for the terrain, and converts all of it into a voxel world in the cloud. You get a faithful Minecraft copy of the real place, built entirely from open data. For the full data details, see the in-depth tutorial.

Honest by design

You find the place like Google Maps. The world is built from open OpenStreetMap data of that exact spot.

No Google imagery is scraped or exported. CartoVoxel only uses the location to fetch open map data, then converts that data into a playable Minecraft world.

Google Earth, Google Maps and OpenStreetMap: what each can do in Minecraft

People search “Google Maps to Minecraft” for different things. Here is what each source can really do, and which one a world file you can keep is built from.

Google Earth 3D (photorealistic tiles)

Google’s 3D imagery can be turned into blocks: Voxel Earth is a Java server plugin that streams Google’s photorealistic 3D tiles into a server as voxels, and a 2020 hobby project converted Google Earth models but was never released because of Google’s terms. Both depend on Google’s service rather than giving you a world built from open data.

Google Maps (2D map and search)

Perfect for finding a place, and CartoVoxel search works the same way: an address, a pin or coordinates copied from Google Maps. Google’s terms don’t allow exporting its map data, so a downloadable world can’t be built from Google’s roads and buildings.

OpenStreetMap (open data) — what CartoVoxel uses

Roads, building footprints and heights, water, parks and land use under an open licence, plus public elevation data. That is why CartoVoxel can deliver a Java .zip or Bedrock .mcworld that you keep and share, credited to © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Build the Earth (community, by hand)

A volunteer project rebuilding the planet at 1:1 scale on its own servers: terrain comes from real elevation, and buildings are placed by hand, block by block. Great for joining a community build, not for getting your own area as a world in minutes.

Doing it by hand vs CartoVoxel

The goal is the same — a real place converted to Minecraft. CartoVoxel removes the manual coordinate-wrangling, the install, and the wait.

Doing it by hand vs CartoVoxel
StepDoing it by hand / desktop toolsCartoVoxel (Google Maps → Minecraft, online)
Find the placeLook up coordinates and bounding boxes manually, then plug them into a config file.Search an address, drop a pin, or paste coordinates — just like Google Maps.
InstallSet up a desktop app plus Python, Java, or GIS dependencies before you start.None — it runs entirely in your browser.
Data sourceDownload raw open map data files and match them to elevation datasets yourself.CartoVoxel fetches the open OpenStreetMap data for that exact spot automatically.
EditionsManage Java saves folders or run separate Java-to-Bedrock conversion steps.Pick Java or Bedrock at checkout and get the matching file.
TimeLarge areas can pin your CPU and RAM for a long time, sometimes hours.Cloud servers do the conversion — most maps are ready in minutes.
CostFree software, but your own time, hardware, and setup are the real cost.From $3.50; $2.00 off the first map with a new account

Convert a location to Minecraft in 4 steps

Find it like Google Maps, draw the area, pick an edition, and play.

  1. 01

    Find your location

    Open the map and find your spot the way you would on Google Maps — search an address, type a landmark like Times Square, or paste coordinates. Want the data details first? Read the tutorial.

  2. 02

    Draw the area you want

    Drag a box around the exact area to convert — a few blocks, a neighborhood, or a whole district. The box defines precisely what becomes your Minecraft world.

  3. 03

    Pick Java or Bedrock and convert

    Choose your edition, then let the cloud fetch the open map data for that spot and convert it into a voxel world. No local rendering, no waiting at your desk.

  4. 04

    Download and play

    Download the finished file, drop it into Minecraft, and spawn into the real place you chose. The import guide covers Java saves and Bedrock .mcworld files.

Do it now

Turn any Google Maps location into Minecraft

Find your spot like you would on Google Maps, draw the area, and let CartoVoxel convert it from open map data.

Open the map generator

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I convert Google Maps to Minecraft?

Find the place the way you would on Google Maps — search an address, drop a pin, or paste coordinates — then draw a box around the area you want. CartoVoxel resolves that spot, fetches the open OpenStreetMap data for it, and converts it into a playable Minecraft world for Java or Bedrock, all in your browser.

Can I see what my area will look like before paying?

Yes. The examples on this page show real output: Lower Manhattan as a generated world, a 3D sample you can fly around, and free maps you can download and open in Minecraft. New accounts also get $2.00 in free credits toward a first map of your own place.

Will it look like Google 3D or Street View?

No. Buildings come from OpenStreetMap footprints and height data, so the street layout, water, parks and building shapes match the real place, with Minecraft-style walls and roofs instead of photo textures. Interiors are simplified, which leaves room for your own builds.

Does it use Google's data?

No. CartoVoxel locates the place the same way you would on Google Maps, but the world itself is built from open OpenStreetMap data of that exact spot — not Google's imagery, Street View, or 3D buildings, which are proprietary and cannot be exported. The result is a faithful copy of the real location, generated entirely from open data.

Can I turn Google Earth into Minecraft?

Not as a world file you can keep. Google Earth’s 3D imagery can only be voxelised through Google’s own service — for example the Voxel Earth server plugin — and hobby projects that extracted it were never released because of Google’s terms. CartoVoxel builds the same place from open OpenStreetMap data and elevation instead, so you get a Java or Bedrock world you can download and share.

Can I use coordinates or an address?

Both. You can type a full street address or a place name to jump straight there, or paste a latitude/longitude pair copied from Google Maps to land on the exact point. Once you're on the spot, just draw the area you want to convert.

Java or Bedrock?

Either. Pick your edition at checkout: a .zip world for Minecraft Java Edition on desktop, or a .mcworld file for Bedrock on consoles, phones, and tablets. The same location converts to whichever edition you choose.

Is it free?

Map generation is paid, by the area you select: $3.50 up to 1 km², $8.50 for 3.5 km² and up to $59.90 for 500 km². New accounts get 200 free credits ($2.00), valid for 30 days, so a first map up to 1 km² costs $1.50. Searching places and seeing the price costs nothing, and the price is shown before you pay.

How big an area can I convert?

From a single city block up to a large district. Bigger areas take more compute and cost more, so it's smart to start small to see the result, then scale up. The pricing page lists the area tiers.

Ready to convert a place into Minecraft?

Find a location like you would on Google Maps, draw the area, and let CartoVoxel build it from open map data in minutes.

Keep building

Google Maps & OSM to Minecraft (tutorial)The in-depth guide to how a real location becomes a Minecraft world.OpenStreetMap to MinecraftWhy open map data is the practical, honest source for real-world worlds.

Related guides

Go deeper on the data and how to import your world.

TutorialGoogle Maps & OSM to MinecraftHow real geographic data becomes a Minecraft world.
GuideOpenStreetMap to MinecraftThe open map data source behind every conversion.
GuideHow to import your generated worldInstall the file into Java or Bedrock and start playing.