Where can I find indexes of USGS topographic maps?
View map indices 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”.
- 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 that looks like three sheets of paper and select "Map Indices".
Order a paper topographic map index for any state (or download a free PDF):
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Go to the USGS Store and select Maps/State Topographic Map Indexes. The paper index maps are free but there is a $5 handling fee per total order.
Digital indexes for use in GIS:
- Download indexes in Shapefile and Geodatabase formats through The National Map Downloader. These are in a zip file and contain cell grids of 1x2 degree, 1x1 degree, 30x60 minute, 15x15 minute, 7.5x7.5 minute (Quads), and 3.75x3.75 minute (Quarter Quad). These are indexes of standard cells, not published maps.
- For maps in the US Topo and Historical Topographic Map collections, click here for a database dump in CSV format. This file can be joined to the cell index above to create spatial indexes of published topographic maps. This file is updated nightly; about 75 US Topo maps are added each work day.
- For Web programmers, a more powerful way to get product information is through the ScienceBase API.
Related Content
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps?
What is a topographic map?
How are U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps named?
Do you offer teacher discounts for your maps and other cost products?
How do I get a full-scale plot of a 1:24,000-scale (7.5-minute) topographic map?
How current are US Topo maps?
Are USGS topographic maps copyrighted?
Can I still get the older topographic maps?
How do US Topo maps differ from historical USGS topographic maps?
Maps for America: cartographic products of the U.S. Geological Survey and others
"Maps for America" was originally published in 1979 as a Centennial Volume commemorating the Geological Survey's hundred years of service (1879 - 1979) in the earth sciences. It was an eminently fitting Centennial Year publication, for, since its establishment, the Geological Survey has continuously carried on an extensive program of mapping to...
Thompson, Morris M.
Finding Yourself Outdoors
Updated USGS digital topographic maps feature more trails and other recreation points of interest
Lesson 9a: Accessing US Topo and Historical USGS Topographic Maps
In this lesson, we will discuss the USGS Store and how it can be used to access the US Topo and historical USGS Topographic maps. Specifically, this lesson will talk about the USGS Store, both where it’s accessed and what’s available at the store, as well as how you can locate and download free topographic maps through the store.
TopoView - A look at version 2.1
A tutorial by USGS scientist and topoView developer Chris Garrity demonstrating how to use topoView version 2.1. TopoView let's you access and download maps free of charge from the USGS's Historical Topographic Map Collection, published between 1884 and 2006.
Resources:
An Introduction to TopoView (version 1.0)
US Topo Story Map – Topographic Maps for the Nation
US Topo Story Map – Topographic Maps for the Nation
1951 USGS legacy topographic map of the Monson West, ME
1951 USGS legacy topographic map of the Monson West (Maine) quadrangle, 1:62,500 scale.
US Topo
US Topo is the next generation of topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Arranged in the familiar 7.5-minute quadrangle format, digital US Topo maps are designed to look and feel (and perform) like the traditional paper topographic maps for which the USGS is so well known. In contrast to paper-based maps, US Topo maps provide modern technical advantages
A portion of the topographic map index for the state of Arizona
A portion of the index map for Arizona showing individual 7.5-minute topographic quadrangles.