Please note that we only display selected links. We evaluate the sites regularly and will add new sites or remove existing ones based on our best judgment.
General
Association of American State Geologists – links to each state geological survey, their geologic publications and data products
Broer Map Library — an online collection and index of historic maps.
Bureau of the Census Bureau of Transportation Statistics — The National Transportation Atlas Database: a set of nationwide geographic databases of transportation facilities, transportation networks, and associated infrastructure.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Geological Survey (USGS)
The Geologic Atlas of the United States – a set of 227 folios published by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1894 and 1945. Each folio includes both topographic and geologic maps for each quad represented in that folio, as well as description of the basic and economic geology of the area. The Geologic Atlas collection is maintained by Map and GIS Collections and Services within the Texas A&M University Libraries.
Geology.com — news and information about geology and Earth Science,including maps and aerial images of the U.S. and the world.
Historical Map and Chart Project — Office of the Coast Survey of NOAA: over 21,000 maps and charts ranging from the year 1655 to 2001. Downloaded as jpg or MrSid files.
National Ocean Service (NOS) – nautical charts updated weekly.
National Park Service — digital versions of those maps found in the official brochures provided to National Park visitors.
National Wetlands Inventory – GIS software is necessary to read the downloaded data.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery — an exceptionally rich collection of atlases and maps, including over 1700 fire insurance and topographic map sets for the five boroughs of New York
Railroad maps of the U.S – Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
SOILS – part of the National Cooperative Soil Survey; provides soil data and maps.
By State
Alabama maps – a collection of digital maps, part of an ongoing project of the Cartographic Research Laboratory, University of Alabama
The Alabama Data Portal – GIS data clearinghouse
Alabama Water Quality System – water-related data and maps by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Alaska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse – public domain geospatial data that is not dependent on outside Internet lines; provides local contact information for data acquisition, archiving, and technical assistance and assists in the coordination of geospatial data collection and planning to reduce costs and avoid duplication of effort.
Arizona Geographic Information Council – an oversight group for geographic information and geographic information technology issues and coordination efforts.
Arizona Land Resource Information System (ALRIS) – geo-spatial data and links; the Arizona State Land Parcel Viewer.
Arkansas Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies – research, education, and outreach related to geoinformatics and geomatics. Specific areas of research in these fields include GIS, geospatial analysis and modeling, high density survey, enterprise spatial databases, remote sensing, digital photogrammetry, and geospatial data and model interoperability.
California Geographical Survey – an Internet resource created by Dr. William A. Bowen, professor of geography emeritus, California State University, Northridge, provides a variety of important geographic resources to the entire Internet community.
Cal-Atlas Geospatial Clearinghouse – discover, download, contribute and view geospatial data and maps.
Historic topographic maps of California – UC Berkeley, cover mainly the San Francisco bay area
Digital Atlas of California – produced for the support of instructional programs in the public schools of California and on the campuses of the California State University System throughout the state. Free, unlimited access is granted to faculty and students of these institutions for non-profit instructional purposes only. The contents of this atlas are copyrighted. The commercial use and reproduction of any item is forbidden without the author’s written consent.
Los Angeles Area
Los Angeles County Historical Topographic Maps – coverage extends over most of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys, the coastal plains, and the Santa Monica Mountains.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority – transit maps and schedules.
Los Angeles and the Problem of Urban Historical Knowledge: Maps – images and maps, both historical and contemporary
Official Los Angeles city web site – interactive general access, construction development maps; locators.
Los Angeles County Office of the Assessor – property data and maps.
Navigate LA – web-based mapping application that delivers maps and reports based on data supplied by various city departments, Los Angeles County, and Thomas Bros. Maps.
Colorado BLM GIS/Mapping Science – statewide GIS datasets; links to other available GIS data.
Connecticut Map & Geographic Info Center – managed by the University of Connecticut Libraries; provides GIS data and maps
Historic USGS maps of New England and New York — the collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
Washington D.C. & vicinity — digital atlas of Washington, D.C. and vicinity created by Professor William A. Bowen
Florida Data Directory – the Florida Department of Transportation provides statewide data (shapefiles and geodatabases) in Winzip format as well as planning maps
Florida Department of Environmental Protection – the Map Direct application provides access to a large number of FDEP data layers and imagery layers; buffer analysis capabilities; “drill-down” reporting capabilities; general data browsing.
Georgia GIS Clearinghouse – a free user account is needed to enter the site.
Hawaii Statewide GIS Program – maps and links to downloadable GIS data.
INSIDE Idaho – interactive numeric and spatial information data engine
Idaho Department of Water Resources – water and spatial data, maps.
Illinois Natural Resources Geospatial Data Clearinghouse — Illinois GIS data sets and documentation (metadata) for ArcIMS Interactive Map Services, USGS digital topographic maps, aerial photography, orthoimagery, orthophotography, geology, land use, natural resources, and infrastructure. Illinois data sets and map data layers are available for download free of charge.
Chicago Imagebase — web-based project aimed at enhancing knowledge about the built environment of the Chicago region; wide variety of images and other data along with information on how to use these data to study the city. Developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago Census Maps – 1990 and 2000 Census maps.
Historical Online Maps – designed by the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne; images of maps charting the last 400 years of historical development in Illinois and the Northwest Territory.
The Indiana Geographic Information Council — the official statewide coordinating body for Indiana geographic information.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources — a library of geospatial data available in formats accessible by a variety of GIS desktop software.
Iowa Geographic Map Server — free access to Iowa geographic map data through an on-line map viewer and through GIS web map server (WMS) connections.
Kansas Geographic Information and Support Center – provides aerial photography, topographic maps, various mapping applications, public records, surveys, land ownership records, census and other boundaries defining administrative areas (i.e. counties, cities, etc.), and more.
Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer – searchable by the name of a place or feature
Kentucky Division of Geographic Information – maintenance of the Commonwealth’s enterprise GIS services and on-going support of the Kentucky Geography Network.
Kentucky Geography Network – a variety of datasets that can be located and accessed, static map products that can be downloaded, and many web mapping applications and services.
Maine Office of GIS — provides baseline geospatial data, services, and support to users of geospatial technology in state government and the public, with the ultimate goal to increase and ease the use of geospatial technologies.
Historic USGS maps of New England and New York — collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps that includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Geospatial Data Center – geospatial data on natural resources and related topics, free for download.
Massachusetts Geographic Information System — a comprehensive, statewide database of geospatial information. Data and maps can be obtained through purchase (by submitting an order form online or via fax or mail), grant, or exchange. Digital data may also be downloaded free of charge.
Boston Redevelopment Authority Atlas — for general browsing of historical maps and GIS data layers; provides a list of all available maps or layers within the current map extent.
Boston area orthophotos — provides access to a sample of MassGIS digital orthophotos, and associated metadata files, for the Boston area.
Digital Atlas of Boston – principal map topics: population and race, nationality and ancestry, income and poverty, and adult educational attainment.
Historic USGS maps of New England and New York — collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
Center For Geographic Information — catalogs the available GIS data that the State of Michigan provides for Internet access. Currently contains over 60 unique statewide datasets including the state’s basemap (MI Geographic Framework), aerial imagery, geology, hydrography, land ownership, topography, and much more.
Minnesota Land Management Information Center — serves as a “First-Stop” source for geographic data and maps about Minnesota. The MGDC is coordinated by MnGeo and includes a wide range of partners from state, regional and local government, education, and the private sector.
Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) — offers access to a range of resources, including: search and retrieval of data descriptions (metadata), retrieval of Mississippi data sets, posting of news related to GIS developments, announcements of upcoming meetings and events, mapping of data sets, access and retrieval to aerial photography covering Mississippi.
Missouri Spatial Data Information Service — provides web services for mapping and imagery using ESRI Arc GIS server.
Montana Natural Resource Information System Program — makes information on Montana’s natural resources easily and readily accessible.
Nebraska Geospatial Data Clearinghouse – specify the location you want to search, choose any additional search criteria, and then press “Start Search.”
Nevada data (via Univ. Nevada, Reno) – Historic highway maps, topographic maps, geologic maps, Nevada mining and energy information, and more.
New Hampshire GRANIT — includes a geographic database, hardware and software to build, manage, and access the database, and a staff of experts knowledgeable in geographic information systems, image processing, and computer analysis.
Historic USGS maps of New England and New York — collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
New Jersey spatial data collection (via Princeton) — provides access to geospatial data, digital map services and geographic information systems (GIS). In addition, we provide ongoing reference, research consultation and instruction to all levels of user experience.
New Jersey historical air photos – samples of air photos taken by Dr. John E. Brush, of New Brunswick and surrounding areas, and photos taken by F. Higgins, probably in the early 1960’s, from lower Albany Street area to the edge of the Douglass Campus.
New Jersey historical maps – historical maps of New Jersey, the changing landscape of new Jersey, the 1872 atlas of New Jersey, and historical map links.
New Jersey topographic quadrangles — view the USGS topographic maps (“quad maps”) with either Google’s aerial photography or a hillshade effect. Click on the map to display coordinates.
New Mexico Resource GIS — a cooperative program between the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the State of New Mexico Information Technology Commission (ITC), dedicated to advancing applications of geographic information system technology within New Mexico’s State agencies, local government and private industry.
North Carolina Center for Geographic Information & Analysis — provides GIS services to state and local governments as well as the private sector.
North Dakota Geographic Information Systems Center — the data, interactive maps, and other information available here are the result of a collaborative effort by North Dakota state agencies, local and federal government, and the private sector.
Ohio GIS Support Center — enterprise geocoding, internet mapping services, spatial data storage and retrieval, and geodatabase administration.
Oklahoma Spatial and Environmental Clearinghouse — hosts an ArcIMS Mapservice of a base map of Oklahoma providing a comprehensive and standardized set of base layers for use by any ArcGIS 9.x user without downloading actual datasets to the workstation. The site also offers downloadable shapefiles for users who prefer to retrieve data to their workstation for most of the layers available in the ArcIMS Mapservices. The downloadable data is currently available on a statewide basis for all of Oklahoma.
Oregon Geospatial Data Clearinghouse — provides easy and convenient ways to find, access and share geospatial data.
Pacific Northwest Environmental Data Library — serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and 271 Native Tribes.
Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access — official public access geospatial information clearinghouse for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and has served for fifteen years as Pennsylvania’s node on the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, Geospatial One-Stop, and the National Biological Information Infrastructure.
Historic Pittsburgh — a comprehensive collection of local resources that supports personal and scholarly research of the western Pennsylvania area.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps – a near complete collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance maps for the state of Pennsylvania provided by the Penn State University Maps Library.
Benthic habitats – provides a benthic habitat classification manual, a benthic habitat map for the nearshore waters of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and supplemental geospatial data.
Rhode Island GIS Data — a collective database of comprehensive geographically related information.
Historic USGS maps of New England — collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — provides information about GIS activities, efforts, and resources.
South Dakota GIS — government provided online maps and downloadable data in shapefile format.
Tennessee Spatial Data Server— distributes spatial data layers that are shared among Federal, State, and local GIS facilities in Tennessee.
Texas General Land Office – provides land grant records and maps dating to the 18th century that detail the passage of Texas public lands to private ownership.
Texas Natural Resource Information System — archives, maintains, and distributes the largest collection of current and historical spatial geographic data sets for the State of Texas.
Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center — maintains the Statewide Geographic Information Database (SGID), a one-stop resource for Utah’s geo-information accessed by users worldwide.
Sanborn maps of Utah cities — digitized maps for Utah cities ranging from 1884 to 1955
Vermont Geographic Information System — storage and provision of free digital geographic data.
Historic USGS maps of New England and New York — collection of over 1500 USGS topographic maps includes complete geographical coverage of New England and New York from the 1890s to 1950s.
Benthic habitats — provides a benthic habitat classification manual, a benthic habitat map for the nearshore waters of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and supplemental geospatial data.
The Virginia Gazetteer— digital maps, aerial photography and other geographic information for over 51,000 Virginia features.
Washington State Geospatial Data Archive — geospatial data for the state of Washington; does not provide digital maps.
West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – contains interactive mapping applications, map services, and downloadable data.
Wisconsin Land Information Clearinghouse – provides records of geospatial data, land records websites and statewide land information inventory survey.
Wyoming Spatial Data Clearinghouse— storage, analysis, management, and presentation of data with reference to geographic location.