---
title: Geo functions
description: The geo functions work with geometries stored in geo_point, geo_shape and shape fields, or returned by other geo functions. geo_point, geo_shape and shape...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/query-languages/sql/sql-functions-geo
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Geo functions
<warning>
  This functionality is in beta and is subject to change. The design and code is less mature than official GA features and is being provided as-is with no warranties. Beta features are not subject to the support SLA of official GA features.
</warning>

The geo functions work with geometries stored in `geo_point`, `geo_shape` and `shape` fields, or returned by other geo functions.

## Limitations

[`geo_point`](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/geo-point), [`geo_shape`](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/geo-shape) and [`shape`](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/elasticsearch/mapping-reference/shape) and types are represented in SQL as geometry and can be used interchangeably with the following exceptions:
- `geo_shape` and `shape` fields don’t have doc values, therefore these fields cannot be used for filtering, grouping or sorting.
- `geo_points` fields are indexed and have doc values by default, however only latitude and longitude are stored and indexed with some loss of precision from the original values (4.190951585769653E-8 for the latitude and 8.381903171539307E-8 for longitude). The altitude component is accepted but not stored in doc values nor indexed. Therefore calling `ST_Z` function in the filtering, grouping or sorting will return `null`.


## Geometry Conversion


### `ST_AsWKT`

```sql
ST_AsWKT(
    geometry 
)
```

**Output**: string
**Description**: Returns the WKT representation of the `geometry`.
```sql
SELECT city, ST_AsWKT(location) location FROM "geo" WHERE city = 'Amsterdam';

     city:s    |     location:s
Amsterdam      |POINT (4.850312 52.347557)
```


### `ST_WKTToSQL`

```sql
ST_WKTToSQL(
    string 
)
```

**Output**: geometry
**Description**: Returns the geometry from WKT representation.
```sql
SELECT CAST(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20)') AS STRING) location;

   location:s
POINT (10.0 20.0)
```


## Geometry Properties


### `ST_GeometryType`

```sql
ST_GeometryType(
    geometry 
)
```

**Output**: string
**Description**: Returns the type of the `geometry` such as POINT, MULTIPOINT, LINESTRING, MULTILINESTRING, POLYGON, MULTIPOLYGON, GEOMETRYCOLLECTION, ENVELOPE or CIRCLE.
```sql
SELECT ST_GeometryType(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20)')) type;

      type:s
POINT
```


### `ST_X`

```sql
ST_X(
    geometry 
)
```

**Output**: double
**Description**: Returns the longitude of the first point in the geometry.
```sql
SELECT ST_X(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20)')) x;

      x:d
10.0
```


### `ST_Y`

```sql
ST_Y(
    geometry 
)
```

**Output**: double
**Description**: Returns the latitude of the first point in the geometry.
```sql
SELECT ST_Y(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20)')) y;

      y:d
20.0
```


### `ST_Z`

```sql
ST_Z(
    geometry 
)
```

**Output**: double
**Description**: Returns the altitude of the first point in the geometry.
```sql
SELECT ST_Z(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20 30)')) z;

      z:d
30.0
```


### `ST_Distance`

```sql
ST_Distance(
    geometry, 
    geometry  
)
```

**Output**: Double
**Description**: Returns the distance between geometries in meters. Both geometries have to be points.
```sql
SELECT ST_Distance(ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (10 20)'), ST_WKTToSQL('POINT (20 30)')) distance;

   distance:d
1499101.2889383635
```