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Query a 2dsphere Index

On this page

  • GeoJSON Objects Bounded by a Polygon
  • Intersections of GeoJSON Objects
  • Proximity to a GeoJSON Point
  • Points within a Circle Defined on a Sphere

The following sections describe queries supported by the 2dsphere index.

The $geoWithin operator queries for location data found within a GeoJSON polygon. Your location data must be stored in GeoJSON format. Use the following syntax:

db.<collection>.find( { <location field> :
{ $geoWithin :
{ $geometry :
{ type : "Polygon" ,
coordinates : [ <coordinates> ]
} } } } )

The following example selects all points and shapes that exist entirely within a GeoJSON polygon:

db.places.find( { loc :
{ $geoWithin :
{ $geometry :
{ type : "Polygon" ,
coordinates : [ [
[ 0 , 0 ] ,
[ 3 , 6 ] ,
[ 6 , 1 ] ,
[ 0 , 0 ]
] ]
} } } } )

The $geoIntersects operator queries for locations that intersect a specified GeoJSON object. A location intersects the object if the intersection is non-empty. This includes documents that have a shared edge.

The $geoIntersects operator uses the following syntax:

db.<collection>.find( { <location field> :
{ $geoIntersects :
{ $geometry :
{ type : "<GeoJSON object type>" ,
coordinates : [ <coordinates> ]
} } } } )

The following example uses $geoIntersects to select all indexed points and shapes that intersect with the polygon defined by the coordinates array.

db.places.find( { loc :
{ $geoIntersects :
{ $geometry :
{ type : "Polygon" ,
coordinates: [ [
[ 0 , 0 ] ,
[ 3 , 6 ] ,
[ 6 , 1 ] ,
[ 0 , 0 ]
] ]
} } } } )

Proximity queries return the points closest to the defined point and sorts the results by distance. A proximity query on GeoJSON data requires a 2dsphere index.

To query for proximity to a GeoJSON point, use either the $near operator. Distance is in meters.

The $near uses the following syntax:

db.<collection>.find( { <location field> :
{ $near :
{ $geometry :
{ type : "Point" ,
coordinates : [ <longitude> , <latitude> ] } ,
$maxDistance : <distance in meters>
} } } )

For examples, see $near.

See also the $nearSphere operator and the $geoNear aggregation pipeline stage.

To select all grid coordinates in a "spherical cap" on a sphere, use $geoWithin with the $centerSphere operator. Specify an array that contains:

Use the following syntax:

db.<collection>.find( { <location field> :
{ $geoWithin :
{ $centerSphere :
[ [ <x>, <y> ] , <radius> ] }
} } )

The following example queries grid coordinates and returns all documents within a 10 mile radius of longitude 88 W and latitude 30 N. The example converts the distance, 10 miles, to radians by dividing by the approximate equatorial radius of the earth, 3963.2 miles:

db.places.find( { loc :
{ $geoWithin :
{ $centerSphere :
[ [ -88 , 30 ] , 10 / 3963.2 ]
} } } )
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