Download the Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) Data:
Data are available for download in an ArcGIS Geodatabase format Nationally or by 56 State/Territory boundaries.
<< Back to PAD-US Data Overview
The latest version of the Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.0) is now available. The download options below provide access to PAD-US data.
How to Cite Data:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2024, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.0: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS.
NOTE ON COMPARING VERSIONS OF PAD-US:
We strongly discourage comparing two PAD-US versions to look for changes in protection status as many changes reflect improvements to agency and organization GIS systems and data, rather than actual changes in protected area acquisition on the ground.
PAD-US does include a Date of Establishment field defined as: The Year (yyyy) the protected area was designated, decreed, or otherwise established. Currently this field is not fully attributed and data gaps are difficult to address. Values in the Date_Est field strive to represent the year the area received its current Name and Designation, but this is a complex topic due to changes over time with names and designations. Individual agencies/field offices are the best source of more time specific management practices.
Download PAD-US Nationally
Combined PAD-US Fee, Designation, Easement, Proclamation, and Marine data.
- National Geodatabase (zip)
Download PAD-US by State / Territory
The Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) dataset was clipped to 56 State and Territorial boundaries to provide data downloads for areas of interest. The Census Bureau is the national steward for legally defined geographic area boundaries for State and Equivalent areas. The national sub-state geography geodatabase is updated annually and contains multiple layers reflecting selected geography, including state name and jurisdiction; this dataset is translated by USGS and used to standardize "State-Name" and improve boundary quality as a common reference for agencies contributing data for PAD-US.
- Download data by State (zip)
Download PAD-US Spatial Analysis Data
These spatial analysis files and summary statistics reports represent data from PAD-US 4.0 (2022).
Spatial Analysis Files Prioritized by GAP Status Code
For more information contact the PAD-US Team.
Download the Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) Data:
Data are available for download in an ArcGIS Geodatabase format Nationally or by 56 State/Territory boundaries.
<< Back to PAD-US Data Overview
The latest version of the Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.0) is now available. The download options below provide access to PAD-US data.
How to Cite Data:
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2024, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 4.0: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96WBCHS.
NOTE ON COMPARING VERSIONS OF PAD-US:
We strongly discourage comparing two PAD-US versions to look for changes in protection status as many changes reflect improvements to agency and organization GIS systems and data, rather than actual changes in protected area acquisition on the ground.
PAD-US does include a Date of Establishment field defined as: The Year (yyyy) the protected area was designated, decreed, or otherwise established. Currently this field is not fully attributed and data gaps are difficult to address. Values in the Date_Est field strive to represent the year the area received its current Name and Designation, but this is a complex topic due to changes over time with names and designations. Individual agencies/field offices are the best source of more time specific management practices.
Download PAD-US Nationally
Combined PAD-US Fee, Designation, Easement, Proclamation, and Marine data.
- National Geodatabase (zip)
Download PAD-US by State / Territory
The Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) dataset was clipped to 56 State and Territorial boundaries to provide data downloads for areas of interest. The Census Bureau is the national steward for legally defined geographic area boundaries for State and Equivalent areas. The national sub-state geography geodatabase is updated annually and contains multiple layers reflecting selected geography, including state name and jurisdiction; this dataset is translated by USGS and used to standardize "State-Name" and improve boundary quality as a common reference for agencies contributing data for PAD-US.
- Download data by State (zip)
Download PAD-US Spatial Analysis Data
These spatial analysis files and summary statistics reports represent data from PAD-US 4.0 (2022).
Spatial Analysis Files Prioritized by GAP Status Code
For more information contact the PAD-US Team.