The newest USGS topo map web app gives the public the opportunity to create custom topographic maps on demand. The online application is called topoBuilder and the output maps are known as OnDemand Topos.
Create an OnDemand Topo
Build a USGS-style topographic map with choice of format, area of interest, and National Map content.
More USGS Topo Maps
US Topo maps, OnDemand Topo maps, and the Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) are produced by the National Geospatial Program of the USGS.
topoBuilder Program Update (January 23, 2023):
topoBuilder is here to stay! Thanks to a highly successful pilot project, OnDemand Topo maps are now a permanent National Map offering and will continue to be provided on a free and unlimited basis. topoBuilder enables everyone to build custom, on-demand, topographic maps; using reliable and authoritative National Map data. Stay tuned as we release additional customizations in 2023 and beyond!
Read the full announcement here.
Introduction to topoBuilder & OnDemand Topo
Jump to Additional Resources & Related Content
topoBuilder is a public web application released by the National Geospatial Program that enables users to request customized USGS-style topographic maps, known as OnDemand Topos, that utilize the best available data from The National Map.
Exclusive to the topoBuilder application is the ability to center maps wherever users choose. OnDemand Topo map extents do not need to align with the traditional 7.5-minute grid utilized by US Topo and other USGS topographic maps. Click here to learn more about USGS map grids.
OnDemand Topo maps anywhere within the following regions at the listed scales may be requested:
Region |
Scale |
|---|---|
|
Contiguous 48 states, the District of Columbia, & Hawaii |
1:24,000 |
|
Alaska |
1:25,000 |
|
U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, & the Northern Mariana Islands) |
1:20,000 |
Click to explore topoBuilder and build your own OnDemand Topo
Users can then choose their preferred file format (PDF or TIFF) as well as the level of contour detail best suited to their needs.
OnDemand Topo contours are generated on the fly from the latest USGS elevation data, including high-quality lidar and IfSAR data acquired through the 3D Elevation Program.
The Edit Layers capability allows users to select what content from The National Map they would like to be available in their map.
Once the customizations have been set, users can simply enter a valid email address and a direct link to download their unique map product will delivered free of charge. Maps are often delivered within 24 hours but can take up to 5 business days.
Questions and feedback may be directed to The National Map Help Desk at tnm_help@usgs.gov.
Additional Resources
topoBuilder Release Notes
The current release of topoBuilder is version 1.4 Read about bug fixes, enhancements, and other changes to topoBuilder and OnDemand Topos. Notes on both the current and previous releases are available.
Known Issues - topoBuilder and OnDemand Topo
This page contains the most up-to-date documentation of known issues for the topoBuilder application and OnDemand Topo map products.
View & Download topoBuilder Data from The National Map
USGS Topographic Map Overview
US Topo: Maps for America
Historical Topographic Maps - Preserving the Past
National Geospatial Program Home Page
National Geospatial Program Training Videos
Related Content
OnDemand Topo Maps Officially Join USGS National Map Offerings
The people have spoken! OnDemand Topo maps and topoBuilder were so popular that we're ending the pilot phase of the project and making topoBuilder a permanent offering of the National Map.
Below are links to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding USGS topographic maps.
What is a topographic map?
The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of elevation contour lines to show the shape of the Earth's surface. Elevation contours are imaginary lines connecting points having the same elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface, which is usually mean sea level. Contours make it possible to show the height and shape of mountains, the depths of the...
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States since 1879. USGS topographic maps have been published at many scales, but 1:24,000 (also referred to as a 7.5-minute quadrangle) has been the standard topographic map scale since 1947. For Alaska the standard scale is 1:25,000. All dates and all scales of our topographic maps can be freely...
When was the 1:24,000-scale topographic map series for the United States and its territories completed?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created in 1879 and published it’s first topographic map in 1882. Systematic topographic mapping was authorized by Congress in 1884. Although 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were produced by the USGS as early as 1904, a formal program to provide primary topographic map coverage at that scale for the entire conterminous United States did not begin until 1947...
Will US Topo maps become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection when a newer version is published?
Superseded US Topo maps will remain available for download, but will not become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection, which is scans of USGS topographic quadrangles originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006. The first US Topo maps were published in 2009. They are updated and superseded every 3 years (maps for one third of the country are produced every year). This does...
Related Content
- Web Tools
- News
OnDemand Topo Maps Officially Join USGS National Map Offerings
The people have spoken! OnDemand Topo maps and topoBuilder were so popular that we're ending the pilot phase of the project and making topoBuilder a permanent offering of the National Map.
- FAQ
Below are links to some of the most commonly asked questions regarding USGS topographic maps.
What is a topographic map?
The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of elevation contour lines to show the shape of the Earth's surface. Elevation contours are imaginary lines connecting points having the same elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface, which is usually mean sea level. Contours make it possible to show the height and shape of mountains, the depths of the...
How do I find, download, or order topographic maps?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States since 1879. USGS topographic maps have been published at many scales, but 1:24,000 (also referred to as a 7.5-minute quadrangle) has been the standard topographic map scale since 1947. For Alaska the standard scale is 1:25,000. All dates and all scales of our topographic maps can be freely...
When was the 1:24,000-scale topographic map series for the United States and its territories completed?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was created in 1879 and published it’s first topographic map in 1882. Systematic topographic mapping was authorized by Congress in 1884. Although 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were produced by the USGS as early as 1904, a formal program to provide primary topographic map coverage at that scale for the entire conterminous United States did not begin until 1947...
Will US Topo maps become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection when a newer version is published?
Superseded US Topo maps will remain available for download, but will not become part of the Historical Topographic Map Collection, which is scans of USGS topographic quadrangles originally published as paper documents between 1884-2006. The first US Topo maps were published in 2009. They are updated and superseded every 3 years (maps for one third of the country are produced every year). This does...