How do I download orthoimagery products and what are the available formats?
Download orthoimagery (georectified aerial photographs) using EarthExplorer, which has the full catalog of USGS orthoimagery and aerial photography, or The National Map downloader, which has NAIP orthoimagery only.
- Products Overview
- Format varies by type of orthoimagery: Native format, Georeferenced Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF), or compressed 10:1 JPEG2000
- National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) orthoimagery
- Tutorial videos
- Format: compressed 10:1 JPEG2000
A NAIP orthoimage is also included as an optional layer in the PDF format of digital topographic maps published after 2009 (US Topos).
Related Content
How can I download orthoimagery in bulk?
Download orthoimagery in bulk through a Bulk Download Application (BDA). Free registration is required. Start by clicking on the Help link in EarthExplorer and selecting the Bulk Download Tutorial . To receive bulk data via external hard drive, you must supply the hard drive(s) within our specifications, pay for shipping the drive(s), and provide a paid return label or a carrier account number...
How often is orthoimagery in The National Map updated and what are the acquisition dates?
Orthoimagery (georectified aerial photography) available through The National Map Downloader and The National Map Services is from the USDA Farm Service Agency's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP), which is 1-meter resolution. Generally, NAIP imagery is refreshed on a 3-year cycle with approximately one third of the continental U.S. flown each year. The month and year of imagery...
What is a digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) or orthoimage?
A digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)--or any orthoimage--is a computer-generated image of an aerial photograph in which displacements (distortions) caused by terrain relief and camera tilts have been removed. It combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map. Unlike an aerial photograph, an orthoimage has a uniform scale, so it can be used as a base map...
Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading?
Orthoimagery is usually very large in file size, so we stage the data in "tiles" that can be reasonably transported over the Internet. Orthoimagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) that is distributed via The National Map Data Download is in compressed 10:1, JPEG2000 format in 3.75 minute x 3.75 minute tile extents. A larger catalog of orthoimagery can also be downloaded using...
What sources were used for imagery in The National Map services?
Sources for orthoimagery in The National Map services : World view to 1:2,300,000 - NASA Blue Marble Next Generation (BMNG) 1:1,150,000 to 1:289,000 - A subset of the Global Land Survey 2000 (Landsat) Scales larger than 1:289,000 - primarily the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). The data is 1-meter pixel resolution flown during "leaf-on" conditions. Collection of NAIP imagery is...
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified . The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products: Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus) NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3...
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. Some of the most well-known USGS maps are the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps, also called 7.5-minute quadrangles . In 2009, the USGS transitioned from our hand scribed historical topographic maps to US Topos , which are computer-generated on a regular schedule using national databases...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer . We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...
Related Content
How can I download orthoimagery in bulk?
Download orthoimagery in bulk through a Bulk Download Application (BDA). Free registration is required. Start by clicking on the Help link in EarthExplorer and selecting the Bulk Download Tutorial . To receive bulk data via external hard drive, you must supply the hard drive(s) within our specifications, pay for shipping the drive(s), and provide a paid return label or a carrier account number...
How often is orthoimagery in The National Map updated and what are the acquisition dates?
Orthoimagery (georectified aerial photography) available through The National Map Downloader and The National Map Services is from the USDA Farm Service Agency's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP), which is 1-meter resolution. Generally, NAIP imagery is refreshed on a 3-year cycle with approximately one third of the continental U.S. flown each year. The month and year of imagery...
What is a digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ) or orthoimage?
A digital orthophoto quadrangle (DOQ)--or any orthoimage--is a computer-generated image of an aerial photograph in which displacements (distortions) caused by terrain relief and camera tilts have been removed. It combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map. Unlike an aerial photograph, an orthoimage has a uniform scale, so it can be used as a base map...
Why does my orthoimagery search on The National Map return multiple tiles for downloading?
Orthoimagery is usually very large in file size, so we stage the data in "tiles" that can be reasonably transported over the Internet. Orthoimagery from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) that is distributed via The National Map Data Download is in compressed 10:1, JPEG2000 format in 3.75 minute x 3.75 minute tile extents. A larger catalog of orthoimagery can also be downloaded using...
What sources were used for imagery in The National Map services?
Sources for orthoimagery in The National Map services : World view to 1:2,300,000 - NASA Blue Marble Next Generation (BMNG) 1:1,150,000 to 1:289,000 - A subset of the Global Land Survey 2000 (Landsat) Scales larger than 1:289,000 - primarily the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). The data is 1-meter pixel resolution flown during "leaf-on" conditions. Collection of NAIP imagery is...
Are the scanned aerial photographic images georectified?
Scans of traditional aerial photography film products (air photos) are not georectified . The USGS does, however, offer several orthoimagery (georectified aerial photograph) products: Digital Orthophoto Quadrangle (DOQ) High Resolution Orthoimagery (HRO) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP, NAIP Plus) NAIP orthoimagery has been collected for the entire conterminous United States every 3...
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. Some of the most well-known USGS maps are the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps, also called 7.5-minute quadrangles . In 2009, the USGS transitioned from our hand scribed historical topographic maps to US Topos , which are computer-generated on a regular schedule using national databases...
Is there a cost for aerial photograph products?
Download medium-resolution scans (400 dpi) of aerial photography products at no charge using EarthExplorer . We are working on high-resolution scans (25 micron or 1,000 dpi) that can also be downloaded at no charge. With over 8.4 million frames of imagery in our archive, scanning will take many years to complete, but about 80% of high-resolution scans are currently available. If you can't find a...