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).
US Topo maps (only) downloaded through TopoView (only) or OnDemand Topos downloaded through topoBuilder in GeoTIFF format come with two metadata XML documents—one for the map and one for the orthoimage.
For Historical Topographic maps and US Topo maps, do a search on the map name and date in ScienceBase (example: Mammoth WV 2014). The entry for each map includes a link to the metadata.
A CSV zip file (for import into spreadsheets) of selected metadata fields for the complete Historical Topographic Map and US Topo Map collections is refreshed nightly. That file is also posted at the bottom of the Topographic Maps website. The zip file contains files for all current US Topo maps (ustopo_current.zip), all superseded US Topo maps (ustopo_historical.zip) and all maps in the Historical Topographic Map Collection (historicaltopo.zip).
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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...
Where can I find metadata for USGS products?
Metadata links are included with all individual files listed in the Sciencebase catalog. USGS data that predate 2000 might not have metadata. Metadata for Publications Metadata for publications (bibliographic information) authored by USGS scientists are in the USGS Publications Warehouse. Metadata for The National Map Products and Services In The National Map Viewer, click on the "Layer List" icon...
Where can I get metadata for The National Map products and services?
Metadata for The National Map products and services is available through the following sources: In The National Map Viewer, click on the "Layer List" icon above the map, then click on the three dots to the right of the layer and select "Description" in the dropdown menu. Most layers in the Viewer are also available as Downloads and/or Services. In The National Map Download Client, after performing...
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...
How accurate are US Topo maps, and why don't they have an accuracy statement?
US Topo maps are as accurate as the data sources used to make them, but because these sources are many and varied, it is not possible to make a single simple statement that the map as a whole meets a particular level of accuracy. US Topo maps, therefore, do not have a traditional accuracy statement in the map collar. Accuracy information for individual data sources is included in the metadata file...
Are USGS topographic maps copyrighted?
All topographic maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are in the public domain and are not copyrighted except for the following three cases that apply only to US Topo maps (produced 2009-present): Most maps in the period 2010-2016 contain commercially licensed road data (see note below). Orthoimages in Alaska are commercially licensed. Orthoimages in Hawaii were commercially licensed...
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...
Where can I find metadata for USGS products?
Metadata links are included with all individual files listed in the Sciencebase catalog. USGS data that predate 2000 might not have metadata. Metadata for Publications Metadata for publications (bibliographic information) authored by USGS scientists are in the USGS Publications Warehouse. Metadata for The National Map Products and Services In The National Map Viewer, click on the "Layer List" icon...
Where can I get metadata for The National Map products and services?
Metadata for The National Map products and services is available through the following sources: In The National Map Viewer, click on the "Layer List" icon above the map, then click on the three dots to the right of the layer and select "Description" in the dropdown menu. Most layers in the Viewer are also available as Downloads and/or Services. In The National Map Download Client, after performing...
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...
How accurate are US Topo maps, and why don't they have an accuracy statement?
US Topo maps are as accurate as the data sources used to make them, but because these sources are many and varied, it is not possible to make a single simple statement that the map as a whole meets a particular level of accuracy. US Topo maps, therefore, do not have a traditional accuracy statement in the map collar. Accuracy information for individual data sources is included in the metadata file...
Are USGS topographic maps copyrighted?
All topographic maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are in the public domain and are not copyrighted except for the following three cases that apply only to US Topo maps (produced 2009-present): Most maps in the period 2010-2016 contain commercially licensed road data (see note below). Orthoimages in Alaska are commercially licensed. Orthoimages in Hawaii were commercially licensed...
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