Boundaries: Primary sources include the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), International Boundary Commission (IBC) for the Canadian boundary, and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) for the Mexican boundary. Boundaries include city, county, State, Federal lands, provinces, and territories; as well as cadastral data (where applicable), associated with Public Land Survey System (PLSS), and Indian lands.
Structures: Currently included at a national scope are hospitals, law enforcement, fire stations, and other similar essential facilities. This data was developed as part of an ongoing effort between Federal agencies and States. For The National Map, the primary sources for the data are states and volunteers associated with The National Map Corps. The USGS reconciles the collection of structures data with the location and feature names from the Geographic Names Information System, achieving a single baseline of data for State and Federal vector data sources as well as gazetteer applications.
Transportation: Roads are from U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line Shapefile source content with some updates of major roads by the USGS, along with U.S. Forest Service road data over National Forests. Railroads were originally sourced from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory but the Federal Railroad Administration is now responsible for maintaining a national dataset. Airport runways are derived from the Federal Aviation Administration location points, with polygon geometry and locational updates provided by USGS.
Related Content
How often are boundaries, structures, and transportation products and services updated in the National Map?
Since the USGS obtains most boundaries, structures, and transportation data from external sources, the frequency of updates depends on the release schedule of the source products.Boundaries - updates are variable.Structures - data content for map services is targeted for quarterly refresh cycles, while updated products are immediately available for download.Transportation - updates range from...
What download formats are available for boundaries, structures, and transportation data products in The National Map?
Boundaries, structures, and transportation data products are currently available in Esri File Geodatabase 10.1 or Shapefile format. Use The National Map Downloader, The National Map Services, or download files staged at the below sites.USGS National Boundary DatasetUSGS National Structures DatasetUSGS National Transportation Dataset
Why don’t the boundaries on US Topo maps match and why are some missing?
Improving boundaries for USGS topographic maps is an ongoing effort. Boundaries have been added to computer-generated US Topo maps (published 2009-present) as digital versions become available: 2009-2010 – The U.S. national boundary was the only boundary shown. 2011 – State and county boundaries added using TIGER/Line data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 2011 – U.S. Forest Service areas added. 2013 –...
What map projections are used in The National Map tiled base map services and dynamic overlay services?
The projection used for all tiled base map services in The National Map is the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) so that base map services can be used in combination with other common viewers. See Spatial Reference SR-ORG:6928 and Spatial Reference SR-ORG:7483. Dynamic overlay services are in WGS84 (see Spatial Reference EPSG:4326) but can be reprojected as needed...
What sources of vector data were used to create base maps in The National Map?
Vector data for small scales are from The National Map Small-Scale Collection, while medium to large scales are comprised of The National Map themes, including the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) data. Other medium-to-large-scale vector features are from USGS edited versions of the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line data for Governmental Unit...
Related Content
- FAQ
How often are boundaries, structures, and transportation products and services updated in the National Map?
Since the USGS obtains most boundaries, structures, and transportation data from external sources, the frequency of updates depends on the release schedule of the source products.Boundaries - updates are variable.Structures - data content for map services is targeted for quarterly refresh cycles, while updated products are immediately available for download.Transportation - updates range from...
What download formats are available for boundaries, structures, and transportation data products in The National Map?
Boundaries, structures, and transportation data products are currently available in Esri File Geodatabase 10.1 or Shapefile format. Use The National Map Downloader, The National Map Services, or download files staged at the below sites.USGS National Boundary DatasetUSGS National Structures DatasetUSGS National Transportation Dataset
Why don’t the boundaries on US Topo maps match and why are some missing?
Improving boundaries for USGS topographic maps is an ongoing effort. Boundaries have been added to computer-generated US Topo maps (published 2009-present) as digital versions become available: 2009-2010 – The U.S. national boundary was the only boundary shown. 2011 – State and county boundaries added using TIGER/Line data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 2011 – U.S. Forest Service areas added. 2013 –...
What map projections are used in The National Map tiled base map services and dynamic overlay services?
The projection used for all tiled base map services in The National Map is the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) Web Mercator (Auxiliary Sphere) so that base map services can be used in combination with other common viewers. See Spatial Reference SR-ORG:6928 and Spatial Reference SR-ORG:7483. Dynamic overlay services are in WGS84 (see Spatial Reference EPSG:4326) but can be reprojected as needed...
What sources of vector data were used to create base maps in The National Map?
Vector data for small scales are from The National Map Small-Scale Collection, while medium to large scales are comprised of The National Map themes, including the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) and Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) data. Other medium-to-large-scale vector features are from USGS edited versions of the U.S. Census Bureau's TIGER/Line data for Governmental Unit...
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