---
id: geoarrow-c
version: "0.3.1"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# geoarrow-c — Python bindings to the geoarrow C and C++ implementation

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 312.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

geoarrow-c is a low-level Python binding to the GeoArrow C/C++ library, primarily designed to serve as a dependency for geoarrow-python. It exposes compute kernels and the Arrow C Data interface, allowing direct interaction with geographic data stored in Arrow format. The package provides access to operations like box aggregation and other spatial computations through a C-based implementation.

Most users should use the higher-level geoarrow-python bindings instead. Direct use of geoarrow-c requires manual management of Arrow C Data structures (SchemaHolder, ArrayHolder) and understanding of the Arrow C Data interface. The package has no runtime dependencies and is available as pre-built wheels for common platforms.

Use it for:

- Serve as a compiled dependency for geoarrow-python when native compute performance is needed
- Access low-level GeoArrow compute kernels directly via the Arrow C Data interface for custom spatial operations
- Integrate geographic Arrow data processing into systems that already use PyArrow and need C-level performance

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

geoarrow-c provides low-level Python bindings to the GeoArrow C implementation, exposing compute kernels and the Arrow C Data interface for working with geographic data in Arrow format.

Yes, if you are using geoarrow-python or need direct access to GeoArrow compute kernels via the Arrow C Data interface. No, if you are looking for a high-level geographic data library. The package is stable (active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, permissive license) but is primarily a low-level dependency rather than a user-facing tool.

## Install

pip install geoarrow-c
uv add geoarrow-c
poetry add geoarrow-c

## Installing geoarrow-c

Before you install: Medium install friction due to compiled wheels for multiple platforms. Repository is active with recent commits, though the package is primarily a dependency for higher-level tools rather than a direct user library.

License in practice: Apache-2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install geoarrow-c

import geoarrow.c
from geoarrow.c import lib

# Use lib.SchemaHolder, lib.ArrayHolder, lib.CKernel to work with Arrow C Data interface

Requires Python 3.8 or later; direct use of compute kernels requires familiarity with the Arrow C Data interface.

Verify before relying:

- Whether this package is intended for direct end-user use or exclusively as a transitive dependency
- Performance characteristics or benchmarks for the exposed compute kernels
- Stability guarantees or API compatibility policy across releases

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 312.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

geoarrow python bindings, geographic arrow compute kernels, arrow c data interface geo, geoarrow c library python, spatial data arrow format, geospatial, arrow-bindings, c-extension

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