USGS OnDemand Topo maps and USGS US Topo maps are built using similar datasets but can look different depending on what areas or options the user selects.
OnDemand Topos--created using the topoBuilder application--offer customization such as custom extents, contour smoothing, user-selected data layers, and include U.S. Territory coverage that are not available on US Topo maps.
Both map types are freely available as digital files, but only US Topos can be ordered as a paper product from the USGS Store.
US Topos can be downloaded immediately. OnDemand Topos are often delivered within 24 hours but can take up to 5 business days to be produced and delivered.
Related Content
Why is the orthoimage (air photo) layer not available for some US Topo maps and OnDemand Topo maps?
In the lower 48 States, orthoimages (rectified air photographs) for US Topo maps and OnDemand Topo maps comes from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). There are areas over some military installations where NAIP imagery is not available. In these locations, the OnDemand Topo maps will either not include imagery or contain partial imagery. US Topo maps are only produced for areas that...
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 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 import a US Topo map into my Geographic Information System (GIS)?
Most Geographic Information System (GIS) vendors do not yet provide geospatial PDF import capabilities. US Topo maps are derived from GIS data sets and are formatted as PDF for the benefit of non-specialist users. We consider the product to be primarily an output of—rather than an input to—GIS. However, we recognize the demand for symbolized maps in GIS, and we are working on a companion product...
Why was the PDF file format selected for US Topo maps?
US Topo maps are intended to serve map users who are not GIS specialists. The priority design objectives were to create a traditional topographic map as a digital document that could be displayed on a typical computer without specialized software and printed at map scale without specialized software or expertise. We believe PDF is the only format in common use that satisfies these requirements...
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
Why is the orthoimage (air photo) layer not available for some US Topo maps and OnDemand Topo maps?
In the lower 48 States, orthoimages (rectified air photographs) for US Topo maps and OnDemand Topo maps comes from the National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP). There are areas over some military installations where NAIP imagery is not available. In these locations, the OnDemand Topo maps will either not include imagery or contain partial imagery. US Topo maps are only produced for areas that...
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 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 import a US Topo map into my Geographic Information System (GIS)?
Most Geographic Information System (GIS) vendors do not yet provide geospatial PDF import capabilities. US Topo maps are derived from GIS data sets and are formatted as PDF for the benefit of non-specialist users. We consider the product to be primarily an output of—rather than an input to—GIS. However, we recognize the demand for symbolized maps in GIS, and we are working on a companion product...
Why was the PDF file format selected for US Topo maps?
US Topo maps are intended to serve map users who are not GIS specialists. The priority design objectives were to create a traditional topographic map as a digital document that could be displayed on a typical computer without specialized software and printed at map scale without specialized software or expertise. We believe PDF is the only format in common use that satisfies these requirements...
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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