[Skip Page Navigation]

Shoreline Data

Providing shoreline data to the coastal community

Comparison of U.S. Digital Shorelines

The information contained in these pages describes the different types of U.S. digital shoreline data available to the public. The site describes data from several different sources, comparing the scale, coverage, accuracy, applications, and other characteristics of each. This information can help users identify what digital shoreline data is available and most appropriate for their needs.

Digital Shoreline Comparison Table

Shoreline Scale Source Coverage Horizontal Datum
 Tidal Datum
NGS Vector Shoreline 1:5,000 - 1:20,000 NOAA Coastal Survey Maps, & georeferenced aerial photos Coterminous U.S. + AK, HI, PR, VI, Great Lakes* NAD 83 MHW
NGA World Vector Shoreline 1:250,000 DMA's Digital Landmass Blanking data World-wide WGS 84 MHW
NGA World Shoreline Plus 1:250,000-1:120,000,000 DMA's Digital Landmass Blanking data World-wide WGS 84 MHW
NOAA CSC T-Sheet Shoreline 1:5,000 - 1:20,000 NOAA Coastal Survey Maps Coterminous U.S. + AK HI, PR, VI, Great Lakes† NAD 83 MHW
NOAA Medium Resolution Shoreline 1:70,000‡ NOAA Nautical Charts Coterminous U.S. only** NAD 83 MHW or MHHW
OCS Extracted Vector Shoreline 1:20,000†† NOAA Nautical Charts Coterminous U.S. + AK, HI, PR, VI, Great Lakes‡‡ NAD 83 MHW and MLLW
* The shorelines of WA, ME, AK, PR, VI, and the Great Lakes are only partially represented
† The shorelines of WA, OR, AK, VI, and the Great Lakes are only partially represented
‡ Value listed is an average mapping scale
** Includes Great Lakes shorelines
†† Value listed is a target scale; actual scales range from 1:10,000 to 1:80,000
‡‡ Also includes the coastal waters of all U.S. Trust Territories and other Caribbean and Pacific islands

Return to top