US Topo Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

For ease of finding topics, the questions and answers are grouped in the following sections:

Mapping Program
Product Access and Download
Product Format
Product Content
Product Use

Mapping Program

Question: What are the USGS’s plans for the topographic maps?

Answer: You can learn more about the future of the USGS's topographic maps and mapping program at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/. Further information about The National Map is available at http://nationalmap.gov

Question: What is the plan for the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5-minute topographic map series?

Answer: See the "Information Sheet (.PDF)" link at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo

Question: Where can I find more information about 1:24,000-scale US Topo maps?

Answer: More information is available at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo

Question: How can I find out more about the USGS's program to make these new maps?

Answer: Call 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747). You may also read the Information Sheet on the program at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/InfoProd.pdf. You also may send your questions to: http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/ustopo_feedback.html

Question: What is the difference between US Topo maps and "Digital Maps – Beta?"

Answer: The initial version of new, digital USGS topographic maps is named "Digital Map – Beta." These maps include an orthoimage base, road features, and geographic names in the traditional, geographically referenced quadrangle format. The new product, US Topo maps, contains all of the content of the earlier "Digital Maps – Beta" plus integrated contours and hydrographic features. These new maps are an evolutionary step toward complete digital topographic map content.

Question: What does the "Beta" mean in "Digital Map – Beta"?

Answer: "Beta" means that these maps were the initial release of the US Topo product. The "Digital Maps – Beta" do not contain all of the traditional content of the USGS topographic quadrangle maps.

Question: When will maps be available for each State?

Answer: Following is a list of States that the USGS plans to map in 2009.

Alabama
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Florida
Illinois
Kansas

Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire

Oklahoma
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Vermont
Wyoming

Question: When will they become available for the whole country, or an area specific to my need?

Answer: The production of US Topos will follow the 3-year U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP). As envisioned, the conterminous United States should be mapped once every 3 years. Plans to map Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Territories will be addressed in 2010 after the production processes have been established and stabilized for the production of the conterminous United States.

Question: When can I expect to see the ultimate version of the US Topo?

Answer: The USGS has a vision for the US Topo of continual improvement with new enhancements of data and functionality. Within this vision is the plan that data contained in The National Map's eight data themes will be incorporated on the maps. The vision extends to giving the users the option to add other data beyond those data contained within The National Map.

Question: Will USGS maps of other scales be updated?

Answer: Yes, the USGS intends to update smaller-scale maps (1:100,000; 1:250,000) from The National Map data after completing large-scale coverage for the Nation and developing capabilities to make intermediate and small-scale maps from The National Map data.

Product Access and Download

Question: How do I download the new US Topo maps

Answer: Please see the US Topo Users Guide - Quickstart

Question: Can I still get the older topographic maps?

Answer: Yes, the legacy topographic maps are being scanned and will be available for free download through http://store.usgs.gov. Or, you may purchase plots of the scanned map files.

Product Format

Question: What is a GeoPDF?

Answer: GeoPDF is a TerraGo Technologies published extension to the Adobe PDF file format. Further information about the GeoPDF format is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoPDF and at http://www.terragotech.com/

Question: Why was the GeoPDF file format selected for US Topo maps?

Answer: This format is designed for the efficient communication of rich spatial data and supports viewing, reviewing, verifying, updating, and printing functions. Further information about the GeoPDF format is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoPDF and at http://www.terragotech.com/

Question: What can I do with a GeoPDF format file?

Answer: The GeoPDF "Digital Map - Beta" file allows the user to interact with the map on a computer screen or print / plot the map on hard-copy media. Further information about using the GeoPDF format is available at the user's guide on http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/, or http://www.terragotech.com/

Question: How can I get Adobe Acrobat Reader?

Answer: You can download the Reader free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Question: What versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader do I need to work with GeoPDF files?

Answer: The latest three versions of either Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat® will work. You can download Adobe Reader free at http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Product Content

Question: What data are used in the production of the US Topo?

Answer: The US Topo maps will eventually be made with all data themes from The National Map. The geospatial data available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (scale-corrected aerial photographs), elevation, geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. These data are acquired through partnerships with States, local, tribal, and Federal agencies. It is anticipated that more local and State data will be used as it is made available and integrated into The National Map data holdings. Links to each data theme are available at The National Map home page http://nationalmap.gov under the Product and Services Tab.

Question: Will the best and latest data be used to compile these maps?

Answer: Yes. The USGS is committed to producing a quality product from quality data provided in part from our partners.

Question: How current will these maps be?

Answer: These maps will be remade every three years as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial imagery is reflown and new Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles (DOQ) are made. The features shown on the maps will be revised or renewed from the latest The National Map data.

Question: How can I find the source and vintage of each data layer?

Answer: Not only will the credit legend, in the lower left-hand corner of the map, list the date and source of the data, but metadata will contain this information as well. The quadrangle-specific metadata are embedded in the GeoPDF. Metadata can be opened by clicking on the paper clip icon in the lower left corner of the table of contents. This will open a folder containing one metadata file. Double click on the file to open it. Accept your web browser’s warning and click on the title of the metadata file to display the black metadata text. Metadata contains a citation naming the originators of the map and types of data in the map. Placeholders for the originator’s publication dates currently (2009) are not populated. Both the credit legend and the metadata give the date of the data layers as a beginning and ending set of dates, when known.

Question: Why are there no contours on "Digital Maps - Beta"?

Answer: The USGS has been improving the quality of the elevation data and improving contour fit to water features [the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)]. Integrated contours and hydrography features are now being incorporated on US Topo maps.

Question: Why is there no accuracy statement on these maps?

Answer: The accuracy statement is left off these maps because the accuracy of the map and of the data used to make the map will be written in the metadata statement. These maps are as accurate as The National Map data used to make them. See the metadata for The National Map or call: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747).

Product Use

Question: How do I use these maps on my personal computer?

Answer: You will find a Quickstart User's Guide at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/quickstart.pdf. For additional information on using these maps, see http://www.terragotech.com/tutorials.php or call: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747).

Question: Are US Topo or "Digital Maps - Beta" copyrighted?

Answer: No, these maps have no copyright and may be reproduced freely. USGS always appreciates receiving credit whenever their products are used.

Question: What is GeoMark and will the GeoPDF's be GeoMark Enabled?

Answer: If a GeoPDF was created with GeoMark function enabled then the users could use tools provided by TerraGo Desktop to add text and/or annotations such as points, lines, and polygons to the map. USGS is investigating licensing issues with the GeoMark Enabling software. Further information about GeoMark is available at http://www.terragotech.com/solutions/pdfs/Map2PDF Bundle.pdf

Question: How do I print the map on my desktop printer?

Answer: Refer to the Quickstart User's Guide at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/quickstart.pdf.

Question: How do I get a full-scale plot of the 1:24,000-scale map?

Answer: There are three ways to get full-scale plots of the 1:24,000-scale map:
1) Request the plot from the USGS Store after selecting the map you want plotted.
2) Download and send the GeoPDF map file to a local business that can plot it for you.
3) Download and plot the GeoPDF map file on your own large-format plotter.

Caution – on options two and three, check the plot to make sure the symbols, text fonts, and the map scale were replicated correctly.

Question: Can I import a US Topo into my geographic information system (GIS)?

Answer: Yes, but with many caveats.

The US Topo was not intended to be a GIS product. It was designed to serve users who need medium-scale topographic and orthoimage maps, but who are not GIS users.

US Topos are derived from GIS data. Almost all these data are from USGS and other government sources, and most are available for free through web services or file download sites. The US Topo represents a repackaging of these data, not new data creation. The primary design objective was to provide these data in a convenient and familiar form to people who need maps but who are not professional cartographers. The traditional 7.5-minute quadrangle layout and PDF format were selected as the best way to accomplish this objective; the GeoPDF extensions were adopted because they added some cartographic value at no cost to the end user.

This repackaging actually degrades the original data, because information must be filtered and generalized to create a readable quadrangle map. This degradation is justified because it makes the map easier to understand and use for the target audience of non-GIS users. The point is that the US Topo is an output of, not an input to, GIS systems.

Nevertheless, displaying a symbolized quadrangle map in a GIS environment can be useful for many things. Below are some partial solutions to the problem of importing a US Topo into GIS software. The USGS expects that more and better solutions will become available as the US Topo program grows and software developers see opportunities in the product. There are historical analogies to this situation in other USGS products. In 1994 the USGS decided to distribute digital raster graphics (DRGs) in GeoTIFF, even though it was a new and unimplemented format. When the first DRGs were created in 1995 hardly any consumer software, including the major commercial GISs, could take advantage of the geospatial tags. By creating over 50,000 public domain GeoTIFF maps, the USGS helped drive the acceptance and widespread implementation of the format.

Currently known methods for importing US Topo images into software other than PDF viewers:

1. Import to ArcGIS® with TerraGo commercial software

GeoPDFs can be imported directly into ArcMap® using TerraGo Publisher® for ArcGIS software. According to TerraGo (December 2009), this software is the only technology that enables direct import to ArcGIS. GSA price for the software $2,197.65 plus 20% maintenance ($439.53) for a total first year price of $2,637.18.

2. Reformat the GeoPDF as a GeoTIFF using Global Mapper®

Global Mapper has both a free version and a commercial version ($350 for one license). The free version does not include data export functions, so the procedure described below will work only with the commercial version.

Global Mapper 11.xx can read TerraGo GeoPDF files and export them as other formats. If exported as a GeoTIFF with JPEG compression, the file size stays about the same, image quality stays about the same, and the result can be read by most geospatial software. Global Mapper will also clip the collar painlessly, and is one of the easiest ways to reproject a spatial dataset.

A significant shortcoming of this procedure is that all GeoPDF layers are exported as one TIFF image. The ability to select individual layers is lost, and all vector layers are rasterized in a single image plane. On the plus side, this does create a background display that is simple to manipulate while being detailed and visually appealing.

The following procedures were tested with Global Mapper 11.0:

a. Open a GeoPDF in Global Mapper

In version 11.xx, GeoPDF is one of the "supported commonly used types."

Loading a US Topo takes longer than loading other files in Global Mapper, but once loaded, pan and zoom operations are fast.

Notice that Global Mapper aligns the UTM/USNG grid with the display coordinate system. A US Topo displays "straight" in Acrobat, like a framed paper map hanging on a wall, but in Global Mapper it displays "tilted," like a DRG. This is not an error; it is software behavior more suitable for a GIS environment.

b. Optional — remove map collar

WARNING: Removing the map collar discards important metadata, including all coordinate annotation.

Go to Tools / Control Center / Options / Cropping

In the tests I ran, the option to "Automatically Crop Collar" did not work quite right, but the option to "Crop to Manually Specified Lat/Lon Boundary" did, and automatically filled in the correct bounding coordinates. Select this option, click the "Specify Lat/Lon Boundary" button, check the bounding coordinates, and click OK.

c. Change background color

Go to View / Background Color

Select pure white

This eliminates "slivers" along the edges of the exported dataset. The pure white (or any other color) of the map collar can be made transparent in ArcMap®, which is almost as good as clipping the collar, but doesn't discard the information in the collar.

d. Export as a GeoTIFF

Go to File / Export Raster and Elevation Data / Export GeoTIFF

For an output file approximately the same size as the GeoPDF input, select JPEG-in-TIFF as the file type. Not all TIFF readers can read this type, but ArcGIS 9.3 is one that can. 8 Bit Palette and 24 Bit RGB can be read by almost all TIFF readers, but file sizes will be much larger.

The FGDC Metadata file attached to every US Topo is lost in this procedure. Save that file separately from Acrobat or another PDF viewer.

If the above Frequently Asked Questions do not answer your specific issue, contact us at http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/ustopo_feedback.html

Last update: February 22, 2010

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