The National Map: New Viewer, Services, and Data Download

Introduction to the New Viewer 

and Services 

Managed by the U.S. Geological 

Survey’s (USGS) National Geospatial 

Program, The National Map has 

transitioned data assets and viewer 

applications to a new visualization 

and product and service delivery 

environment, which includes an 

improved viewing platform, base 

map data and overlay services, and an 

integrated data download service. 

The National Map Viewer: http://viewer.nationalmap.gov
	

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This new viewing solution expands 

upon the National Geospatial Intelligence 

Agency (NGA) Palanterra X3 viewer, 

providing a solid technology foundation 

for navigation and basic Web mapping 

functionality. Building upon the NGA 

viewer allows The National Map to focus 

on improving data services, functions, 

and data download capabilities. Initially 

released to the public at the 125th 

anniversary of mapping in the USGS 

on December 3, 2009, the viewer and 

services are now the primary distribution 

point for The National Map data. 

Key Features of the Viewer 

•		 Fast, cartographically designed base 

map services using datasets from the 

National Atlas of the United States® 

and The National Map 

•		 GIS tools are included to identify 

features, change display of coordinates,

measure distances and areas, reverse 

geocode, and search for features by 

keyword or coordinates 

•		 Advanced features include markup 

annotation and feature data query or 

filter 

•		Easily “mash-up” in the viewer 

other map services, such as keyhole 

markup language (KML), Web map 

service (WMS), ESRI’s ArcGIS 

REST services, and Really Simple 

Syndication (RSS) feeds 

•		 Alternately, use The National Map 

services with other popular viewers, 

such as Google Earth, Google Maps, 

and Microsoft Bing Maps using WMS, 

KML, or ArcGIS REST 

•		 Visualize and discover The National 

Map data availability and product 

inventory status 

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Figure 1. The National Map viewer A, uses easy to navigate foundational base maps; B, shows vintage of The National Map data inventory; 

C, makes it easy to download products such as the US Topo or The National Map data; and D, provides ways to add your data services to The 

National Map and make your own view. 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Fact Sheet 2010–3055 Printed on recycled paper July 2010 
                             

         

 

 

     

Free Data Downloads From The 

National Map 

The National Map viewer is the new 

one stop destination for downloading 

all the latest The National Map data and 

products, including the following: 

•		Raster data: Orthoimagery, Elevation, 

Land Cover 

•		 Vector data: Hydrography, Geographic 

Names, Transportation, Structures, and 

Governmental Units 

•		 Map products: US Topo, Scanned 

Historic Topographic Maps 

The National Map receives 

thousands of free download order 

requests weekly, and is committed to 

continuous improvement of The National 

Map services. 

Steps To Download Data From The 

National Map Viewer 

1.		 Zoom and pick your area of interest 

2.		 Click the "Download Data" button 

3.		 Select how to clip your data—by 

reference areas or viewable map 

extent 

4.		 Select your themes and formats 

5.		 For themes with multiple products, 

pick your products and preview to 

determine product coverage 

6.		 Add the item to your cart and get 

more products by repeating these 

steps 

7.		 When you have selected all the 

desired products, click "Checkout" 

8.		 Enter your e-mail address to receive 

your order confirmation and click 

"Place order" 

9.		 For raster or prepackaged map 

products, open the e-mail and click 

on the link for the product to begin 

extraction immediately 

10. For vector products, a second e-mail 

will arrive within hours with a link 

and download instructions for the 

products requested 

By Robert M. Dollison 

Figure 2. The National Map Viewer supports downloading all the latest The National Map data and map products—such as US Topo, 

Imagery, Elevation, and Hydrography—from one location.