How to Connect ArcGIS Pro to a PostGIS Database

PostGIS is a powerful spatial extension of PostgreSQL that adds support for geographic objects, enabling advanced spatial queries and analysis. ArcGIS Pro supports direct connections to PostGIS, allowing GIS professionals to integrate enterprise-grade spatial databases with Esri’s desktop environment.

This guide walks you through the steps of connecting ArcGIS Pro to a PostGIS database.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• ArcGIS Pro 2.9 or later (Esri continues to improve database connections with each release).
• PostgreSQL database with the PostGIS extension installed.
• Database connection details:
  • Hostname or IP
  • Port (default: 5432)
  • Database name
  • Username and password
• Appropriate user permissions to read/write spatial tables in PostGIS.

Step 1: Verify Database Compatibility

Esri only certifies ArcGIS Pro with specific PostgreSQL and PostGIS versions. Check Esri’s documentation for supported versions to ensure compatibility. If versions don’t match, you may encounter connection issues.

Step 2: Install PostgreSQL Client Libraries

ArcGIS Pro requires the PostgreSQL client libraries to communicate with the database.

1. Download the correct libpq files from Esri’s client library packages or directly from PostgreSQL.
2. Place the .dll files in the ArcGIS Pro bin directory: C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro\bin
3. Restart ArcGIS Pro after installing the libraries.

Step 3: Create a Database Connection in ArcGIS Pro

1. Open ArcGIS Pro.
2. In the Catalog pane, right-click Databases → New Database Connection.
3. From the Database Platform dropdown, select PostgreSQL.
4. Fill in your connection details:
   • Instance: hostname or hostname:port
   • Database: Name of your PostGIS-enabled database
   • Authentication Type: Database authentication
   • Username / Password: Your PostgreSQL credentials
5. Click OK.

ArcGIS Pro will attempt to establish a connection. If successful, your PostGIS database will appear under Databases in the Catalog pane.

Step 4: Access PostGIS Layers

Once connected, you can:

• Browse spatial tables stored in PostGIS.
• Drag and drop layers into your ArcGIS Pro map.
• Perform queries, spatial joins, and geoprocessing directly on the PostGIS tables.
• Publish services to ArcGIS Enterprise if needed.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Connection fails → Double-check host, port, and database name.
• Missing tables → Ensure your user account has SELECT privileges on the schema/tables.
• Geometry/geography issues → Confirm that your tables use supported geometry types and spatial references.
• Performance issues → Create spatial indexes in PostGIS for faster queries.

Connecting ArcGIS Pro to PostGIS provides a robust workflow for managing and analyzing spatial data in an enterprise environment. With PostGIS as your backend, you can leverage advanced spatial SQL functions while still using ArcGIS Pro’s powerful visualization and analysis tools.