{"id":9765,"library":"geoarrow-pandas","title":"GeoArrow Pandas","description":"GeoArrow Pandas provides GeoArrow extension types for pandas DataFrames, enabling efficient storage and manipulation of geospatial data using the Apache Arrow memory format. It integrates with pandas by implementing the ExtensionArray and ExtensionDtype protocols. The current version is 0.1.1, and it is considered an experimental library with a relatively slow release cadence, indicating ongoing development.","status":"active","version":"0.1.1","language":"en","source_language":"en","source_url":"https://github.com/geoarrow/geoarrow-pandas","tags":["geospatial","pandas","arrow","pyarrow","dataframes","GIS","geodata"],"install":[{"cmd":"pip install geoarrow-pandas","lang":"bash","label":"Install stable version"}],"dependencies":[{"reason":"Core dataframe library","package":"pandas"},{"reason":"Underlying Arrow memory format","package":"pyarrow"},{"reason":"Core GeoArrow definitions and types","package":"geoarrow"},{"reason":"Used for geometry construction and conversions","package":"shapely"}],"imports":[{"symbol":"geoarrow.pandas","correct":"import geoarrow.pandas as ga"},{"note":"The primary types are exposed directly under `geoarrow.pandas` for convenience.","wrong":"from geoarrow.pandas.types import GeoArrowExtensionDtype","symbol":"GeoArrowExtensionDtype","correct":"from geoarrow.pandas import GeoArrowExtensionDtype"}],"quickstart":{"code":"import pandas as pd\nimport geoarrow.pandas as ga\nimport shapely\n\n# Create a pandas Series with GeoArrow-backed WKB geometries\ns = pd.Series([shapely.Point(1, 2), shapely.Point(3, 4)], dtype=ga.wkb_type())\n\nprint(\"GeoArrow-backed Series:\")\nprint(s)\nprint(f\"Series dtype: {s.dtype}\")\n\n# Example conversion to GeoPandas\n# geopandas dependency would be needed for actual usage:\n# try:\n#     import geopandas\n#     gdf = ga.to_geopandas(s.to_frame(name='geometry'))\n#     print('\\nConverted to GeoPandas GeoDataFrame:')\n#     print(gdf)\n# except ImportError:\n#     print('\\nSkipping GeoPandas conversion (geopandas not installed).')\n","lang":"python","description":"This quickstart demonstrates how to create a pandas Series using GeoArrow extension types, specifically the Well-Known Binary (WKB) format. It uses `shapely` to construct geometries and `ga.wkb_type()` to specify the GeoArrow dtype. The series will behave like a regular pandas Series but with GeoArrow's efficient backing."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Always review release notes for new versions. Pin specific minor versions in your dependencies to mitigate unexpected changes for a period.","message":"As a '0.x' experimental library, the API of geoarrow-pandas is subject to change without strict backward compatibility guarantees. Expect potential modifications to class names, function signatures, and overall structure in future releases.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":"All 0.x versions"},{"fix":"For operations primarily within the GeoArrow ecosystem, try to avoid frequent conversions to GeoPandas. Convert only when specific GeoPandas functionality is required. Consider processing data in chunks or streaming if memory becomes an issue.","message":"Direct conversion of large GeoArrow-backed DataFrames or Series to GeoPandas (e.g., via `ga.to_geopandas`) can be computationally intensive and memory-hungry, as it often involves copying data and converting it to shapely objects.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All 0.x versions"},{"fix":"To access these methods, you may need to explicitly convert the GeoArrow Series to a `geopandas.GeoSeries` using `ga.to_geopandas()` (if the input is a DataFrame/Series) or access the underlying GeoArrowArray for lower-level operations. Many spatial operations can also be performed via the `geoarrow` library itself.","message":"GeoArrow-backed Series (GeoArrowExtensionDtype) do not expose the same comprehensive set of geometry-specific methods (e.g., `.area`, `.centroid`, `.crs`) directly on the Series accessor as a `geopandas.GeoSeries` does.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All 0.x versions"},{"fix":"Ensure that the input data (e.g., list of shapely objects) is compatible with the chosen GeoArrow type (e.g., `ga.wkb_type()`). If working with PyArrow arrays directly, ensure they conform to the GeoArrow specifications.","message":"Attempting to create a GeoArrowExtensionDtype Series with incompatible Python objects or incorrect `pyarrow` types can lead to `TypeError` or `ValueError`.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":"All 0.x versions"}],"env_vars":null,"last_verified":"2026-04-17T00:00:00.000Z","next_check":"2026-07-16T00:00:00.000Z","problems":[{"fix":"Ensure your input data is a list of `shapely` geometries, WKB/WKT strings, or a compatible PyArrow array. Explicitly specify the GeoArrow dtype, e.g., `pd.Series([...], dtype=ga.wkb_type())` or `pd.Series([...], dtype=ga.point_type(pyarrow.float64()))`.","cause":"The data being passed to `pd.Series` (or similar constructor) is not in a format that `geoarrow-pandas` can directly convert into a GeoArrow extension type.","error":"TypeError: cannot convert '...' to GeoArrowExtensionDtype"},{"fix":"GeoArrow Pandas provides a memory-efficient backbone, but does not replicate all GeoPandas geometry methods directly. Convert your data to a `geopandas.GeoDataFrame` or `GeoSeries` first using `ga.to_geopandas()` if you need these methods, or use lower-level functions from the `geoarrow` library itself for spatial operations.","cause":"You are attempting to call a geometry-specific method (like `.area`, `.centroid`, etc.) directly on the `GeoArrowExtensionArray` or its accessor, expecting GeoPandas-like behavior.","error":"AttributeError: 'GeoArrowExtensionArray' object has no attribute 'area'"},{"fix":"Install the library using pip: `pip install geoarrow-pandas`.","cause":"The `geoarrow-pandas` library has not been installed in your current Python environment.","error":"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'geoarrow.pandas'"}]}