PostGIS

Spatial and Geographic objects for PostgreSQL

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Compiling from Source

PostGIS has many packaged installations, but if you are more adventurous and want to compile your own, refer to our source download and compilation instructions:

• Source Download and Compile Instructions

Binary Installers

Binary distributions of PostGIS are available for various operating systems.

Windows

• More details about getting up and running with windows can be found on Windows Downloads page.

OSX

• The most reliable way to get PostGIS on OSX is to download and install Postgres.app. Great for development and testing. Do not mix with other installations.
• The builds from KyngChaos are sometimes more up-to-date. Read the instructions carefully. Do not mix with other installations.
• Homebrew users can just run “brew install postgis”.
• The OSX PostgreSQL/Stackbuilder combination from EnterpriseDB has had mixed reliability. Avoid.

Red Hat / Centos / Scientific Linux

• The best place to get the latest binaries for both PostgreSQL and PostGIS is the PostgreSQL Yum repository
  1. Choose the correct “repository RPM” for your distribution, download and install it.
  2. Install PostGIS and dependencies by running yum install postgis2_93. (where 93 refers to minor version of PostgreSQL you installed.
  3. Refer to Install PostgreSQL 9.3, PostGIS 2.1, pgRouting with Yum for more detailed instructions.

Ubuntu / Debian

• UbuntuGIS project has PostGIS and other OSGeo project offerings
• The PostgreSQL build team has packages for Debian 6/7 and Ubuntu 10.04 (lucid), 12.04 (precise) PostGIS 2.0 for lower versions and PostGIS 2.1 for PostgreSQL 9.3 APT repository for PostgreSQL builds. PostgreSQL Apt Repo PostGIS 2.1 install covers 9.3
• The Debian GIS project maintains PostGIS packaging for Debian also used by Ubuntu and UbuntuGIS.

OpenSUSE and SUSE

• OpenSUSE PostGIS 2.1 For OpenSUSE 13.1, 12.3, Tumbleweed, SUSE SLE-11 SP 3

Additional Install Guides

• Source, Yum and other installs for latest and older versions of PostGIS

Getting Started

These instructions are for PostgreSQL 9.1 and higher, PostGIS 2.0 and higher that is compiled with raster support. Note: if you have postgis, without raster support, you can not use CREATE EXTENSION. Refer to PostGIS install.

Enabling PostGIS

PostGIS is an optional extension that must be enabled in each database you want to use it in before you can use it. Installing the software is just the first step. DO NOT INSTALL it in the database called postgres.

Connect to your database with psql or PgAdmin. Run the following SQL. You need only install the features you want:

-- Enable PostGIS (includes raster)
CREATE EXTENSION postgis;
-- Enable Topology
CREATE EXTENSION postgis_topology;
-- Enable PostGIS Advanced 3D 
-- and other geoprocessing algorithms
CREATE EXTENSION postgis_sfcgal;
-- fuzzy matching needed for Tiger
CREATE EXTENSION fuzzystrmatch;
-- rule based standardizer
CREATE EXTENSION address_standardizer;
-- example rule data set
CREATE EXTENSION address_standardizer_data_us;
-- Enable US Tiger Geocoder
CREATE EXTENSION postgis_tiger_geocoder;

Upgrading PostGIS

To upgrade PostGIS, you first have to install the latest binaries and then upgrade each database you have PostGIS installed in

For example connect to database you want to upgrade and if you just installed binaries for 2.1.3 You can upgrade from 2.0 to 2.1, 2.2 et.c using this approach. To go from 1.* to 2.* you need to do a hard upgrade. Refer to PostGIS install for more extensive instructions. Note: that as of PostGIS 2.1.3 and PostGIS 2.0.6, you need to set environment variables to get full features.

-- Upgrade PostGIS (includes raster)
ALTER EXTENSION postgis 
 UPDATE TO "2.2.1";
-- Upgrade Topology
ALTER EXTENSION postgis_topology 
 UPDATE TO "2.2.1";
 
-- Upgrade US Tiger Geocoder
ALTER EXTENSION postgis_tiger_geocoder 
 UPDATE TO "2.2.1";

Spatial SQL

See the documentation for more guidance.

-- Create table with spatial column
CREATE TABLE mytable ( 
  id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
  geom GEOMETRY(Point, 26910),
  name VARCHAR(128)
); 
 
-- Add a spatial index
CREATE INDEX mytable_gix
  ON mytable 
  USING GIST (geom); 
 
-- Add a point
INSERT INTO mytable (geom) VALUES (
  ST_GeomFromText('POINT(0 0)', 26910)
);
 
-- Query for nearby points
SELECT id, name
FROM mytable
WHERE ST_DWithin(
  geom, 
  ST_GeomFromText('POINT(0 0)', 26910),
  1000
);