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What is The National Map Structures Tint?

The National Map’s Structures Tint dataset represents manmade structures using broad-area tints rather than defining the exact shape of individual buildings. The Structures Tint data was provided by Oak Ridge National Labs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

This dataset was introduced in 2021 and is designed for use at the 1:24,000 scale (the standard scale for USGS topographic maps) or smaller. While improvements to spatial accuracy are ongoing, use at larger scales is not advised.

The Structures Tint is currently visible on the USGS Topo Basemap. This is the default basemap in The National Map Viewer and The National Map Download Client.

The Structures Tint data (National Structures Dataset) is available to download through The National Map Download Client. In the future, the Structures Tint data will be available as its own map service and included as a data layer on US Topo maps.