The ArcGIS Online USGS Topographic Maps image service contains over 181,000 historical topographic quadrangle maps (quads) dating from 1879 to 2006. These maps are part of the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) which includes all the historical quads that had been printed since the USGS topographic mapping program was initiated in 1879. Previously available only as printed lithographic copies, the historical maps were scanned “as is” to create high-resolution images that capture the content and condition of each map sheet. All maps were georeferenced, and map metadata was captured as part of the process.

For the Esri collection, the scanned maps were published as this ArcGIS Online image service which can be viewed on the web and allows users to download individual scanned images. Esri’s collection contains historical quads (excluding orthophotos) dating from 1879 to 2006 with scales ranging from 1:10,000 to 1:250,000. The scanned maps can be used in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise. They can also be downloaded as georeferenced TIFs for use in these and other applications.

We make it easy for you to explore and download these maps, or quickly create an ArcGIS Online map, using our Historical Topo Map Explorer app. The app provides a visual interface to search and explore the historical maps by geographic extent, publication year, and map scale. And you can overlay the historical maps on a satellite image or 3D hillshade and add labels for current geographic features.