The USGS has a limited number of 1:50,000-scale maps available for the United States. These are maps that the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has released for sale to the public.
To see which maps are available for sale (or free digital download), go to the online USGS Store:
- Click on “Maps” in the left navigation menu.
- Look for the NGA Foreign Maps button (includes domestic NGA maps).
- In the "Filter by Country" box, select USA and the appropriate state.
- Click on “+VIEW FILTERS” to toggle on additional filters.
- Under "Other Filters", use the dropdown menu in the “Map Scale” box to select 1:50,000 (it's near the top of the list).
- In the "Map Types" box, select Contours.
- Click on the green “Apply Filters” button near the top of the page. You will see a listing of all available 1:50,000-scale maps for that state
The USGS does not have a complete set of NGA 1:50,000 maps for the United States. Many (but not all) of the available maps cover areas near military facilities.
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- FAQ
Do all USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps show the UTM grid?
Historical Topographic Map Collection (1884-2006): The USGS policy about putting a full UTM grid on 7.5-minute (1:24,000-scale) topographic maps has changed over time. Beginning in the mid-1950s, the grid was indicated by blue ticks around the map at 1,000-meter spacing. In 1979, the ticks were replaced with a full-line black UTM grid. This decision was reversed in 1992, then reversed again in...
How are UTM coordinates measured on USGS topographic maps?
The UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinate system divides the world into sixty north-south zones, each 6 degrees of longitude wide. UTM zones are numbered consecutively beginning with Zone 1, which includes the westernmost point of Alaska, and progress eastward to Zone 19, which includes Maine. If UTM ticks are shown on a USGS topographic map, the zone is indicated in the credit legend in...
What does the term UTM mean? Is UTM better or more accurate than latitude/longitude?
UTM is the acronym for Universal Transverse Mercator, a plane coordinate grid system named for the map projection on which it is based (Transverse Mercator). The UTM system consists of 60 zones, each 6-degrees of longitude in width. The zones are numbered 1-60, beginning at 180-degrees longitude and increasing to the east. The military uses their own implementation of the UTM system, called the...
How current are US Topo maps?
US Topo maps are updated on a three-year production cycle (maps covering one third of the country are updated each year). The US Topo production schedule follows the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) collection schedule. This does not include US Topos for Alaska, which are on a different schedule. The linework features shown on the maps are generated...
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...
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...
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