A USGS topographic map is usually named for the most prominent feature within the bounds of the map, frequently a community. Most topographic maps are named for the most centrally located, well-known, and/or largest community labeled on the map.
If the community for which the map should be named falls on two or more maps, a directional term might be used such as East and West. An example is Washington East, D.C. and Washington West, D.C.
If the map contains no communities or covers a very rural area, it can be named for the most prominent and centrally located physical or natural feature within the bounds of the map.
Naming maps for linear features such as streams is generally avoided because such features usually pass through several maps or meander on and off the maps. Occasionally, a map area is so devoid of named topography that a directional might be used, as in adding NW or SE to the name of an adjacent map, or even using the map name from a smaller scale series and applying the directional term.
A map's primary State is the one that contains the named feature, which is not necessarily the State that has most of the map area. The primary State is almost always included in the map title. Secondary states are often, but not always, also included in the title. If multiple states are present in the title, the primary state is listed first.
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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...
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...
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...
Why are some of the historical topographic maps yellowed and why do some have extra stamps or marks?
The goals of the Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) project are to find, catalog, and georeference all USGS topographic quadrangle maps published prior to 2007. The overall purpose is to preserve the map archive for scientists, historians, and the public. Library copies of maps (many of which have library stamps) were therefore scanned "as is". Map restoration is not part of the current...
When was the 1:24,000-scale topographic map series for the United States and its territories completed?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created in 1879 and published it’s first topographic map in 1882. Systematic topographic mapping was authorized by Congress in 1884. Although 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were produced by the USGS as early as 1904, a formal program to provide primary topographic map coverage at that scale for the entire conterminous United States did not begin until 1947...
What do the different north arrows on a USGS topographic map mean?
A diagram at the bottom of most USGS topographic maps shows three north arrows--true north, grid north, and magnetic north--and the angles between them. Some maps, especially very old maps, do not have this diagram. True north, also called geodetic north or geographic north, is the direction of the line of longitude that bisects the quadrangle. All longitude lines converge to points at the north...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Why are some of the historical topographic maps yellowed and why do some have extra stamps or marks?
The goals of the Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) project are to find, catalog, and georeference all USGS topographic quadrangle maps published prior to 2007. The overall purpose is to preserve the map archive for scientists, historians, and the public. Library copies of maps (many of which have library stamps) were therefore scanned "as is". Map restoration is not part of the current...
When was the 1:24,000-scale topographic map series for the United States and its territories completed?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created in 1879 and published it’s first topographic map in 1882. Systematic topographic mapping was authorized by Congress in 1884. Although 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were produced by the USGS as early as 1904, a formal program to provide primary topographic map coverage at that scale for the entire conterminous United States did not begin until 1947...
What do the different north arrows on a USGS topographic map mean?
A diagram at the bottom of most USGS topographic maps shows three north arrows--true north, grid north, and magnetic north--and the angles between them. Some maps, especially very old maps, do not have this diagram. True north, also called geodetic north or geographic north, is the direction of the line of longitude that bisects the quadrangle. All longitude lines converge to points at the north...
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...
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