US Topo maps are not legal documents and the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) representation is not legally authoritative.
The sections, townships, and ranges of the PLSS that are shown on US Topo maps are derived from GIS data from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in cooperation with the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).
Learn more:
- FGDC Cadastral Subcommittee (information and links)
- Handbook for Standardized PLSS CadNSDI Data
Related Content
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States since 1879. USGS topographic maps have been published at many scales, but 1:24,000 (also referred to as a 7.5-minute quadrangle) has been the standard topographic map scale since 1947. For Alaska the standard scale is 1:25,000. All dates and all scales of our topographic maps can be freely...
How do US Topo maps differ from historical USGS topographic maps?
Historically, USGS topographic maps were made using data from primary sources including direct field observations. Those maps were compiled, drawn, and edited by hand. By today's standards, those traditional methods are very expensive and time-consuming, and the USGS no longer has funding to make maps that way. A new USGS topographic map series was launched in 2009 and branded "US Topo." Though...
Do US Topos and The National Map have a layer that shows the Public Land Survey System (PLSS)?
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. PLSS surveys, which are available for portions of land in 30 southern and western states, are made by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile-square sections. Sections can be further subdivided...
Are there metadata files for USGS topographic maps?
GeoPDF files for both Historical Topographic maps (produced 1884-2006), US Topo maps (produced 2009-present), and OnDemand Topo maps come with an XML metadata file attached to each GeoPDF file. To access the metadata file, download the GeoPDF file, open it in Acrobat Reader, click on the paperclip icon, then select a file from the list that appears (US Topo maps also come with a Map Symbols sheet)...
Will US Topo maps become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection when a newer version is published?
Superseded US Topo maps will remain available for download, but will not become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection, which is scans of USGS topographic quadrangles originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006. The first US Topo maps were published in 2009. They are updated and superseded every 3 years (maps for one third of the country are produced every year). This does...
How can I find the source and vintage of each US Topo data layer?
US Topo maps have a credit legend in the lower left-hand corner of the map collar. This includes a short summary of data sources and data currency. More detailed source information is in an XML metadata file attached to each GeoPDF file. This file contains series-level, quad-level, and layer-level metadata, but US Topo does not preserve or track feature-level metadata. Open the GeoPDF map file in...
Can I still get the older topographic maps?
Yes. Topographic maps originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006 have been scanned and published as the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection. Download our historical topographic maps and our more current US Topo maps (published 2009-present) free of charge using TopoView (GeoPDF, GeoTIFF, JPEG, and KMZ formats) or using the USGS Store’s Map Locator (GeoPDF format). Order paper...
Where can I find indexes of USGS topographic maps?
View map indexes on these interactive maps (you must zoom in to see the index lines and map names): Map Locator on the USGS Store - Click the icon on the left that looks like two pieces of paper and select “1:24,000” for our standard map series. TopoView - Click on any of the round map scale indicators on the right side of the map. The National Map Viewer - Click on the Layer List icon at the top...
Related Content
- FAQ
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States since 1879. USGS topographic maps have been published at many scales, but 1:24,000 (also referred to as a 7.5-minute quadrangle) has been the standard topographic map scale since 1947. For Alaska the standard scale is 1:25,000. All dates and all scales of our topographic maps can be freely...
How do US Topo maps differ from historical USGS topographic maps?
Historically, USGS topographic maps were made using data from primary sources including direct field observations. Those maps were compiled, drawn, and edited by hand. By today's standards, those traditional methods are very expensive and time-consuming, and the USGS no longer has funding to make maps that way. A new USGS topographic map series was launched in 2009 and branded "US Topo." Though...
Do US Topos and The National Map have a layer that shows the Public Land Survey System (PLSS)?
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. PLSS surveys, which are available for portions of land in 30 southern and western states, are made by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile-square sections. Sections can be further subdivided...
Are there metadata files for USGS topographic maps?
GeoPDF files for both Historical Topographic maps (produced 1884-2006), US Topo maps (produced 2009-present), and OnDemand Topo maps come with an XML metadata file attached to each GeoPDF file. To access the metadata file, download the GeoPDF file, open it in Acrobat Reader, click on the paperclip icon, then select a file from the list that appears (US Topo maps also come with a Map Symbols sheet)...
Will US Topo maps become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection when a newer version is published?
Superseded US Topo maps will remain available for download, but will not become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection, which is scans of USGS topographic quadrangles originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006. The first US Topo maps were published in 2009. They are updated and superseded every 3 years (maps for one third of the country are produced every year). This does...
How can I find the source and vintage of each US Topo data layer?
US Topo maps have a credit legend in the lower left-hand corner of the map collar. This includes a short summary of data sources and data currency. More detailed source information is in an XML metadata file attached to each GeoPDF file. This file contains series-level, quad-level, and layer-level metadata, but US Topo does not preserve or track feature-level metadata. Open the GeoPDF map file in...
Can I still get the older topographic maps?
Yes. Topographic maps originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006 have been scanned and published as the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection. Download our historical topographic maps and our more current US Topo maps (published 2009-present) free of charge using TopoView (GeoPDF, GeoTIFF, JPEG, and KMZ formats) or using the USGS Store’s Map Locator (GeoPDF format). Order paper...
Where can I find indexes of USGS topographic maps?
View map indexes on these interactive maps (you must zoom in to see the index lines and map names): Map Locator on the USGS Store - Click the icon on the left that looks like two pieces of paper and select “1:24,000” for our standard map series. TopoView - Click on any of the round map scale indicators on the right side of the map. The National Map Viewer - Click on the Layer List icon at the top...
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