Link to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Map page to find, visualize and download USGS data and services, such as topo maps (DRGs), quad indexes, imagery, historical data/imagery, etc.

USGS Structures from The National Map (TNM) consists of data to include the name, function, _location, and other core information and characteristics of selected manmade facilities across all US states and territories. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of disaster planning and emergency response, and homeland security organizations. Structures currently included are: School, School:Elementary, School:Middle, School:High, College/University, Technical/Trade School, Ambulance Service, Fire Station/EMS Station, Law Enforcement, Prison/Correctional Facility, Post Office, Hospital/Medical Center, Cabin, Campground, Cemetery, Historic Site/Point of Interest, Picnic Area, Trailhead, Vistor/Information Center, US Capitol, State Capitol, US Supreme Court, State Supreme Court, Court House, Headquarters, Ranger Station, White House, and City/Town Hall. Structures data are designed to be used in general mapping and in the analysis of structure related activities using geographic information system technology. Included is a feature class of preliminary building polygons provided by FEMA, USA Structures. The National Map structures data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public _domain structures data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the structures data model, go to https://www.usgs.gov/ngp-standards-and-specifications/national-map-structures-content.

The USGS Transportation service from The National Map (TNM) is based on TIGER/Line data provided through U.S. Census Bureau and road data from U.S. Forest Service. Some of the TIGER/Line data includes limited corrections done by USGS. Transportation data consists of roads, railroads, trails, airports, and other features associated with the transport of people or commerce. The data include the name or route designator, classification, and location. Transportation data support general mapping and geographic information system technology analysis for applications such as traffic safety, congestion mitigation, disaster planning, and emergency response. The National Map transportation data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and structures, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map Download Client allows free downloads of public domain transportation data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the transportation data model, go to https://nationalmap.gov/transport.html.

The USGS US Topo Availability service from The National Map consists of footprints where US Topo products are currently available. Various green tints are used to reflect the year in which US Topo map products have been published. The service is updated daily and contains the same data used in footprints in the Map Locator & Downloader application program interface used in the USGS Store (http://store.usgs.gov). In addition to access through The National Map download client (http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic), US Topo products and other USGS publications are available through the USGS Store. For additional information, go to http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo.

The USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) downloadable data collection from The National Map (TNM) is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data that encodes information about naturally occurring and constructed bodies of surface water (lakes, ponds, and reservoirs), paths through which water flows (canals, ditches, streams, and rivers), and related entities such as point features (springs, wells, stream gages, and dams). The information encoded about these features includes classification and other characteristics, delineation, geographic name, position and related measures, a "reach code" through which other information can be related to the NHD, and the direction of water flow. The network of reach codes delineating water and transported material flow allows users to trace movement in upstream and downstream directions. In addition to this geographic information, the dataset contains metadata that supports the exchange of future updates and improvements to the data. The NHD supports many applications, such as making maps, geocoding observations, flow modeling, data maintenance, and stewardship. For additional information on NHD, go to https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/national-hydrography.

DWR was the steward for NHD and Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) in California. We worked with other organizations to edit and improve NHD and WBD, using the business rules for California. California's NHD improvements were sent to USGS for incorporation into the national database. The most up-to-date products are accessible from the USGS website. Please note that the California portion of the National Hydrography Dataset is appropriate for use at the 1:24,000 scale.

For additional derivative products and resources, including the major features in geopackage format, please go to this page: https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/nhd-major-features Archives of previous statewide extracts of the NHD going back to 2018 may be found at https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/nhd-archive.

In September 2022, USGS officially notified DWR that the NHD would become static as USGS resources will be devoted to the transition to the new 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP). 3DHP will consist of LiDAR-derived hydrography at a higher resolution than NHD. Upon completion, 3DHP data will be easier to maintain, based on a modern data model and architecture, and better meet the requirements of users that were documented in the Hydrography Requirements and Benefits Study (2016). The initial releases of 3DHP include NHD data cross-walked into the 3DHP data model. It will take several years for the 3DHP to be built out for California. Please refer to the resources on this page for more information.

The FINAL,STATIC version of the National Hydrography Dataset for California was published for download by USGS on December 27, 2023. This dataset can no longer be edited by the state stewards. The next generation of national hydrography data is the USGS 3D Hydrography Program (3DHP).

Questions about the California stewardship of these datasets may be directed to nhd_stewardship@water.ca.gov.

From https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/national-geospatial-program/national-map :"The National Map is a suite of products and services that provide access to base geospatial information to describe the landscape of the United States and its territories. The National Map embodies 11 primary products and services and numerous applications and ancillary services. The National Map supports data download, digital and print versions of topographic maps, geospatial data services, and online viewing. Customers can use geospatial data and maps to enhance their recreational experience, make life-saving decisions, support scientific missions, and for countless other activities. Nationally consistent geospatial data from The National Map enable better policy and land management decisions and the effective enforcement of regulatory responsibilities. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web through such products as topographic maps and services and as downloadable data. The geographic information available from The National Map includes boundaries, elevation, geographic names, hydrography, land cover, orthoimagery, structures, and transportation. The majority of The National Map effort is devoted to acquiring and integrating medium-scale (nominally 1:24,000 scale) geospatial data for the eight base layers from a variety of sources and providing access to theresulting seamless coverages of geospatial data. The National Map also serves as the source of base mapping information for derived cartographic products, including 1:24,000 scale US Topo maps and georeferenced digital files of scanned historic topographic maps. Data sets and products from The National Map are intended for use by government, industry, and academia—focusing on geographic information system (GIS) users—as well as the public, especially in support of recreation activities. Other types of georeferenced or mapping information can be added within The National Map Viewer or brought in with The National Map data into a GIS to create specific types of maps or map views and (or) to perform modeling or analyses."

USGS Structures from The National Map (TNM) consists of data to include the name, function, location, and other core information and characteristics of selected manmade facilities. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of disaster planning and emergency response, and homeland security organizations. Structures currently being collected are: School, Technical/Trade School, College/University, Fire Station/EMS Station, Law Enforcement, Prison/Correctional Facility, State Capitol, Hospital/Medical Center, Ambulance Service, Cemetery, and Post Office. Structures data are designed to be used in general mapping and in the analysis of structure related activities using geographic information system technology. The National Map structures data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain structures data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the structures data model, go to https://nationalmap.gov/structures.html.

This is a tiled collection of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and is one meter resolution. The 3DEP data holdings serve as the elevation layer of The National Map, and provide foundational elevation information for earth science studies and mapping applications in the United States. Scientists and resource managers use 3DEP data for hydrologic modeling, resource monitoring, mapping and visualization, and many other applications. The elevations in this DEM represent the topographic bare-earth surface. USGS standard one-meter DEMs are produced exclusively from high resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) source data of one-meter or higher resolution. One-meter DEM surfaces are seamless within collection projects, but, not necessarily seamless across projects. The spatial reference used for tiles of the one-meter DEM within the conterminous United States (CONUS) is Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) in units of meters, and in conformance with the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). All bare earth elevation values are in meters and are referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Each tile is distributed in the UTM Zone in which it lies. If a tile crosses two UTM zones, it is delivered in both zones. The one-meter DEM is the highest resolution standard DEM offered in the 3DEP product suite. Other 3DEP products are nationally seamless DEMs in resolutions of 1/3, 1, and 2 arc seconds. These seamless DEMs were referred to as the National Elevation Dataset (NED) from about 2000 through 2015 at which time they became the seamless DEM layers under the 3DEP program and the NED name and system were retired. Other 3DEP products include five-meter DEMs in Alaska as well as various source datasets including the lidar point cloud and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (Ifsar) digital surface models and intensity images. All 3DEP products are public domain.

The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is a comprehensive aggregated collection of hydrologic unit data consistent with the national criteria for delineation and resolution. It defines the areal extent of surface water drainage to a point except in coastal or lake front areas where there could be multiple outlets as stated by the "Federal Standards and Procedures for the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)" "Standard" (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/11/a3/). Watershed boundaries are determined solely upon science-based hydrologic principles, not favoring any administrative boundaries or special projects, nor particular program or agency. This dataset represents the hydrologic unit boundaries to the 12-digit for the entire United States. Some areas may also include additional subdivisions representing the 14- and 16-digit hydrologic unit (HU). At a minimum, the HUs are delineated at 1:24,000-scale in the conterminous United States, 1:25,000-scale in Hawaii, Pacific basin and the Cari ...

The USGS Governmental Unit Boundaries dataset from The National Map (TNM) represents major civil areas for the Nation, including States or Territories, counties (or equivalents), Federal and Native American areas, congressional districts, minor civil divisions, incorporated places (such as cities and towns), and unincorporated places. Boundaries data are useful for understanding the extent of jurisdictional or administrative areas for a wide range of applications, including mapping or managing resources, and responding to natural disasters. Boundaries data also include extents of forest, grassland, park, wilderness, wildlife, and other reserve areas useful for recreational activities, such as hiking and backpacking. Boundaries data are acquired from a variety of government sources. The data represents the source data with minimal editing or review by USGS. Please refer to the feature-level metadata for information on the data source. The National Map boundaries data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as elevation, hydrography, structures, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public domain boundaries data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the boundaries data model, go to https://nationalmap.gov/boundaries.html.

The USGS NHDPlus High Resolution service, NHDPlus_HR, a part of The National Map, is a comprehensive set of digital spatial data comprising a nationally seamless network of stream reaches, elevation-based catchment areas, flow surfaces, and value-added attributes that enhance stream network navigation, analysis, and data display. NHDPlus High Resolution (NHDPlus HR) is a scalable geospatial hydrography framework built from the high resolution National Hydrography Dataset, nationally complete Watershed Boundary Dataset, and 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) ? arc-second (10 meter ground spacing) digital elevation model data. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain NHDPlus HR data in Esri File Geodatabase format. For additional information on the NHDPlus HR, go to https://nhd.usgs.gov.

The USGS Map Indices service from The National Map (TNM) consists of 1x1 Degree, 30x60 Minute (100K), 15 Minute (63K), 7.5 Minute (24K), and 3.75 Minute grid polygons used in The National Map viewer for reference and to download data. At 1:24,000-scale (24K), the standard map size is 7.5 minutes of latitude by 7.5 minutes of longitude. At 1:100,000-scale (100K), the standard map size is 30 minutes of latitude by 60 minutes of longitude. The National Map viewer allows free download of public domain USGS map indices data in Esri File Geodatabase format.

The USGS Transportation service from The National Map (TNM) is based on TIGER/Line data provided through U.S. Census Bureau and road data from U.S. Forest Service. Some of the TIGER/Line data includes limited corrections done by USGS. Transportation data consists of roads, railroads, trails, airports, and other features associated with the transport of people or commerce. The data include the name or route designator, classification, and location. Transportation data support general mapping and geographic information system technology analysis for applications such as traffic safety, congestion mitigation, disaster planning, and emergency response. The National Map transportation data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and structures, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain transportation data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the transportation data model, go to http://nationalmap.gov/transport.html.

The NED is a seamless mosaic of elevation data. The 7.5-minute elevation data for the conterminous United States are the primary initial source data. This interactive map provides an interface to download the data in specific areas.The full Kansas geospatial catalog is administered by the Kansas Data Access & Support Center (DASC) and can be found at the following URL: https://hub.kansasgis.org/

This is a tiled collection of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) and is 1/3 arc-second (approximately 10 m) resolution. The 3DEP data holdings serve as the elevation layer of The National Map, and provide foundational elevation information for earth science studies and mapping applications in the United States. Scientists and resource managers use 3DEP data for hydrologic modeling, resource monitoring, mapping and visualization, and many other applications. The elevations in this DEM represent the topographic bare-earth surface. The seamless 1/3 arc-second DEM layers are derived from diverse source data that are processed to a common coordinate system and unit of vertical measure. These data are distributed in geographic coordinates in units of decimal degrees, and in conformance with the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). All elevation values are in meters and, over the continental United States, are referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). The seamless 1/3 arc-second DEM layer provides coverage of the conterminous United States, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other territorial islands, and in limited areas of Alaska. The seamless 1/3arc-second DEM is available as pre-staged current and historical products tiled in GeoTIFF format. The seamless 1/3 arc-second DEM layer is updated continually as new data become available in the current folder. Previously created 1 degree blocks are retained in the historical folder with an appended date suffix (YYYMMDD) when they were produced. Other 3DEP products are nationally seamless DEMs in resolutions of 1, and 2 arc seconds. These seamless DEMs were referred to as the National Elevation Dataset (NED) from about 2000 through 2015 at which time they became the seamless DEM layers under the 3DEP program and the NED name and system were retired. Other 3DEP products include one-meter DEMs produced exclusively from high resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) source data and five-meter DEMs in Alaska as well as various source datasets including the lidar point cloud and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (Ifsar) digital surface models and intensity images. All 3DEP products are public domain.

USGS Imagery Only is a tile cache base map service of orthoimagery in The National Map visible to the 1:9,028 zoom scale. Orthoimagery data is typically high resolution aerial images that combine the visual attributes of an aerial photograph with the spatial accuracy and reliability of a planimetric map. USGS digital orthoimage resolution may vary from 6 inches to 1 meter. In the former resolution, every pixel in an orthoimage covers a six inch square of the earth's surface, while in the latter resolution, one meter square is represented by each pixel. Blue Marble: Next Generation and Landsat imagery data sources are displayed at small to medium scales, however, the majority of the imagery service source is from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) for the conterminous United States. The data is 1 meter pixel resolution collected with "leaf-on" conditions. Collection of NAIP imagery is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA). In areas where NAIP data is not available, other imagery may be acquired through partnerships by the USGS. For Alaska, 10-meter resolution SPOT imagery is provided for viewing. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain, 1-meter resolution orthoimagery in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format for the conterminous United States. However, the 10-meter Alaska orthoimagery data will not be available for direct download from the National Map due to license restrictions. For additional information on orthoimagery, go to https://nationalmap.gov/ortho.html.

USGS developed The National Map Gazetteer as the Federal and national standard (ANSI INCITS 446-2008) for geographic nomenclature based on the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The National Map Gazetteer contains information about physical and cultural geographic features, geographic areas, and locational entities that are generally recognizable and locatable by name (have achieved some landmark status) and are of interest to any level of government or to the public for any purpose that would lead to the representation of the feature in printed or electronic maps and/or geographic information systems. The dataset includes features of all types in the United States, its associated areas, and Antarctica, current and historical, but not including roads and highways. The dataset holds the federally recognized name of each feature and defines the feature location by state, county, USGS topographic map, and geographic coordinates. Other attributes include names or spellings other than the official name, feature classification, and historical and descriptive information. The dataset assigns a unique, permanent feature identifier, the Feature ID, as a standard Federal key for accessing, integrating, or reconciling feature data from multiple data sets. This dataset is a flat model, establishing no relationships between features, such as hierarchical, spatial, jurisdictional, organizational, administrative, or in any other manner. As an integral part of The National Map, the Gazetteer collects data from a broad program of partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies and other authorized contributors. The Gazetteer provides data to all levels of government and to the public, as well as to numerous applications through a web query site, web map, feature and XML services, file download services, and customized files upon request. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain geographic names data by state in a pipe-delimited text format. For additional information on the GNIS, go to https://www.usgs.gov/tools/geographic-names-information-system-gnis. See https://apps.nationalmap.gov/help/ for assistance with The National Map viewer, download client, services, or metadata.

USGS Imagery Only is a tile cache base map service of orthoimagery in The National Map visible to the 1:9,028 zoom scale. Orthoimagery data is typically high resolution aerial images that combine the visual attributes of an aerial photograph with the spatial accuracy and reliability of a planimetric map. USGS digital orthoimage resolution may vary from 6 inches to 1 meter. In the former resolution, every pixel in an orthoimage covers a six inch square of the earth's surface, while in the latter resolution, one meter square is represented by each pixel. Blue Marble: Next Generation and Landsat imagery data sources are displayed at small to medium scales, however, the majority of the imagery service source is from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) for the conterminous United States. The data is 1 meter pixel resolution collected with "leaf-on" conditions. Collection of NAIP imagery is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA). In areas where NAIP data is not available, other imagery may be acquired through partnerships by the USGS. For Alaska, 10-meter resolution SPOT imagery is provided for viewing. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain, 1-meter resolution orthoimagery in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format for the conterminous United States. However, the 10-meter Alaska orthoimagery data will not be available for direct download from the National Map due to license restrictions. For additional information on orthoimagery, go to https://nationalmap.gov/ortho.html.

The USGS Transportation downloadable data from The National Map (TNM) is based on TIGER/Line data provided through U.S. Census Bureau and supplemented with HERE road data to create tile cache base maps. Some of the TIGER/Line data includes limited corrections done by USGS. Transportation data consists of roads, railroads, trails, airports, and other features associated with the transport of people or commerce. The data include the name or route designator, classification, and location. Transportation data support general mapping and geographic information system technology analysis for applications such as traffic safety, congestion mitigation, disaster planning, and emergency response. The National Map transportation data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and structure ...

The USGS NAIP Plus service from The National Map consists of National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) and high resolution orthoimagery (HRO) that combine the visual attributes of an aerial photograph with the spatial accuracy and reliability of a map. Digital orthoimage resolution may vary from 6 inches to 1 meter. In the former resolution, every pixel in an orthoimage covers a six inch square of the earthâ s surface, while in the latter resolution, each pixel represents a one meter square. Many states contribute orthoimagery to The National Map, and the USGS also relies on a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency. The National Map download client allows free downloads of public domain, 1-meter resolution orthoimagery in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format for the conterminous United States, with many urban areas and other locations at 1-foot (or better) resolution also in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format. For additional information on imagery products, go to https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/node/300 and https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/high_res_ortho/.