Building on the success of more than 130 years of USGS topographic mapping, the US Topo series is the current generation of maps of the American landscape.
Get Topo Maps
Current US Topos and historical topographic maps are available as digital files or printed to order.
Create an OnDemand Topo
Build a USGS-style topographic map with choice of format, area of interest, and National Map content.
Topographic Maps for the Nation
US Topo maps are produced by the National Geospatial Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). First launched in 2009, US Topos combine the familiar look and feel of legacy paper USGS topographic maps with technological advances of the 21st century.
US Topo map data is derived from the geographic information system (GIS) data of The National Map and is continuously updated via National, state, local, and commercial partnerships. Current and historic USGS topographic maps are available for immediate download from The National Map Downloader. Please note that not all features on historical maps appear on US Topos.
Characteristics Common to US Topo and Traditional USGS Topographic Maps
- Same extents as the popular 7.5-minute, 1:24,000-scale* quadrangle maps released 1947 - 2006 *scale varies in Alaska & Puerto Rico
- Standardized layout of map collar and traditional reference system (latitude/longitude & U.S. National Grid)
- Portrays both natural and human-made features within the themes of elevation, hydrography, place names, transportation, boundaries, structures, & land cover
Unique Characteristics of US Topo Maps
Content & Currency
- Consistent and complete coverage of the Nation, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Alaska (completed 2021)
- 3-year production cycle for the 48 conterminous states, Hawaii, & Puerto Rico (Alaska US Topo refresh driven by elevation and hydrography data updates)
- Shaded relief (derived from 3DEP elevation data where available) and high-resolution color imagery
- All maps are georeferenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) or to the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS 84) and projected to the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection and coordinate system.
- Continuous enrichment of map content and cartography
Usability & Accessibility
- Published as digital documents, enabling faster, wider distribution of products via free & immediate downloads
- Viewable and printable using Adobe Reader or other free PDF applications
- Geospatial PDF format enables basic GIS functionality, such as displaying coordinates, distance or area measurement, and georeferenced mark-up
- Layered PDF allows users to turn each data layer on or off to support a variety of map views and purposes
- Accompanied by a symbol sheet and FGDC-compliant metadata
