National Geospatial Program

Home

The National Geospatial Program (NGP) provides a foundation of digital geospatial data representing the topography, natural landscape, and manmade environment of the United States. Customers can incorporate NGP geospatial products and services into their decision making and operational activities. NGP data and derived products and services can be accessed through The National Map Data Download. 

Topographic Maps

Topographic Maps

US Topo maps and the Historical Topographic Map Collection (HTMC) are produced by the National Geospatial Program of the USGS.

Learn More

3D Elevation (3DEP)

3D Elevation (3DEP)

3DEP is a cooperative program that is accelerating the rate and quality of 3D elevation data collection to address a wide range of critical needs. The goal of 3DEP is to complete national data coverage in 8 years.

Learn More

News

Date published: October 31, 2018

National Hydrography October 2018 Newsletter released

The USGS National Hydrography Dataset Newsletter, Vol. 17, No. 10, October 2018 has been released and posted for viewing.

Date published: October 31, 2018

Favorite Headstones and Mapping

The National Map Corps encourages and leverages volunteer citizen scientists to update structure data to The National Map. To reward, recognize and motivate these participants, the program awards “virtual” badges for increasing levels of edits and submission.

Date published: October 30, 2018

USGS Topo Base Map Refreshed and Other Updates

The “USGS Topo Base Map” service named “USGS Topo” has been refreshed with new data and design changes. In addition, several of the “Data Availability”, or “Data Index” services have new cloud hosted URLs.

Publications

Year Published: 2018

A comparison of synthetic flowpaths derived from light detection and ranging topobathymetric data and National Hydrography Dataset High Resolution Flowlines

Bathymetric and topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) digital elevation models created for the Delaware River were provided to the National Geospatial Program and used to evaluate synthetic flowpath extraction from bathymetric/topobathymetric lidar survey data as a data source for improving the density, distribution, and connectivity...

Miller-Corbett, Cynthia
Miller-Corbett, C., 2018, A comparison of synthetic flowpaths derived from light detection and ranging topobathymetric data and National Hydrography Dataset high resolution flowlines: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1058, 29 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181058.

Year Published: 2018

Understanding map projections: Chapter 15

It has probably never been more important in the history of cartography than now that people understand how maps work. With increasing globalization, for example, world maps provide a key format for the transmission of information, but are often poorly used. Examples of poor understanding and use of projections and the resultant maps are many; for...

Kent, Alexander J.; Vujakovic, Peter; Usery, E. Lynn

Year Published: 2018

The 3D Elevation Program—Flood risk management

Flood-damage reduction in the United States has been a longstanding but elusive societal goal. The national strategy for reducing flood damage has shifted over recent decades from a focus on construction of flood-control dams and levee systems to a three-pronged strategy to (1) improve the design and operation of such structures, (2) provide more...

Carswell, William J.; Lukas, Vicki
Carswell, W.J., Jr., and Lukas, Vicki, 2018, The 3D Elevation Program—Flood risk management: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2017-3081, 6 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20173081.