Here's the REPL transcript. > use test switched to db test > db.dropDatabase() { "dropped" : "test", "ok" : 1 } > db.test.createIndex({grid:'2dsphere'}) { "createdCollectionAutomatically" : true, "numIndexesBefore" : 1, "numIndexesAfter" : 2, "ok" : 1 } // make a square, coordinates start at NW corner > db.test.insert({grid:{type:'Polygon',coordinates:[[[1,2],[2,2],[2,1],[1,1],[1,2]]]}}) WriteResult({ "nInserted" : 1 }) // find the square inside the square > db.test.find({grid: { $geoWithin: { $geometry: { type: "Polygon", coordinates: [[[1,2],[2,2],[2,1],[1,1],[1,2]]] } } } }) { "_id" : ObjectId("5531aa43fb4a314ff06590d9"), "grid" : { "type" : "Polygon", "coordinates" : [ [ [ 1, 2 ], [ 2, 2 ], [ 2, 1 ], [ 1, 1 ], [ 1, 2 ] ] ] } } // square is missing from various rectangles including the square but extending in different directions, $geoIntersects works > db.test.find({grid: { $geoWithin: { $geometry: { type: "Polygon", coordinates: [[[0,2],[2,2],[2,1],[0,1],[0,2]]] } } } }) > db.test.find({grid: { $geoWithin: { $geometry: { type: "Polygon", coordinates: [[[0,2],[3,2],[3,1],[0,1],[0,2]]] } } } }) > db.test.find({grid: { $geoWithin: { $geometry: { type: "Polygon", coordinates: [[[0,3],[3,3],[3,1],[0,1],[0,3]]] } } } }) // square is present in larger square > db.test.find({grid: { $geoWithin: { $geometry: { type: "Polygon", coordinates: [[[0,3],[3,3],[3,0],[0,0],[0,3]]] } } } }) { "_id" : ObjectId("5531aa43fb4a314ff06590d9"), "grid" : { "type" : "Polygon", "coordinates" : [ [ [ 1, 2 ], [ 2, 2 ], [ 2, 1 ], [ 1, 1 ], [ 1, 2 ] ] ] } }