Auto Routes OSM (Overpass)

About the Project

Auto Routes OSM (Overpass) is a Python plugin for QGIS that allows downloading road data from OpenStreetMap (OSM) using the Overpass API. It provides two ways to define the area of interest: by name (e.g., “Curitiba, Brazil”) or by geographic coordinates (xmin, ymin, xmax, ymax).

Once the area is defined, the user can choose which types of highways to include (e.g., primary, secondary, residential, etc.), and the plugin automatically processes the query, generating a line layer in QGIS for analysis and visualization.

Main Features:

• Select area by location name (using Nominatim service)
• Select area by geographic extent (min and max coordinates)
• Filter by OpenStreetMap road types
• Automatic Overpass API query and result processing
• Output layer creation with filtered roads (LineString format)
• Support for temporary layers, file saving, GeoPackage, and database tables

Why I Created This Plugin

During several mapping and road network analysis projects in QGIS, I noticed that obtaining OpenStreetMap road data was repetitive and time-consuming. We often had to open Overpass Turbo, manually write a query, and then import the result into QGIS — a tedious and error-prone process.

To simplify this workflow, I developed Auto Routes OSM (Overpass), a plugin that automates all these steps directly within QGIS. It allows you to define the area of interest (by name or coordinates), choose road types, and — with just one click — get the road layer directly on the map.

With this plugin, you can:

• Run Overpass API queries automatically — no browser needed;
• Select the area by typing a city, neighborhood, or region name;
• Define coordinates manually for precise areas;
• Filter only the relevant road types (primary, secondary, residential...);
• Automatically create a line layer ready for analysis in QGIS;
• View real-time query logs and request status.

How to Use

1. Install the plugin via the official QGIS plugin repository.
2. Open QGIS and access the Processing Menu.
3. Search for the Auto Routes OSM (Overpass) algorithm.
4. Select your preferred area definition method (by name or extent).
5. Choose the road types to filter.
6. Run the algorithm and view the generated road layer.

Example

For example, defining the area as “Batel, Curitiba” and filtering road types primary, secondary, tertiary, and residential will fetch those roads within the specified region and create a line layer for visualization and analysis in QGIS.