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# How do I get NOAA nautical charts? 

## Head to the NOAA Coast Survey website for the latest charting products.

interactive chart locator

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is the nation’s  chartmaker, with over a thousand charts covering 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.4  million square nautical miles of waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic  Zone. Here’s a quick overview of the  nautical  charts that NOAA produces. 

            - Paper nautical charts  are printed on demand by  NOAA-certified agents .
            - NOAA PDF nautical charts  are digital formats of the traditional paper charts, and are up-to-date to the day they are downloaded. PDF charts are free.
            - NOAA Raster  Navigational Charts  (NOAA RNC ® ) are  digital images of NOAA's  entire suite of paper charts, updated continually with critical corrections.  They can be used in many electronic charting systems and offer advanced  functionalities such as real-time positioning. Available for free download in  BSB format.
            - NOAA Electronic  Navigational Charts  (NOAA ENCs ® ) are NOAA's most powerful electronic  charting product. These layered vector charts, available for free download, can  be used in Electronic Chart  Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).
            - BookletChartsTM are free, print-at-home  products to help recreational  boaters locate themselves on the water.  BookletCharts, in  letter-sized format, contain all of the information on full-scale nautical  charts. 
            - Historical Maps  & Charts Collection  contains over 35,000  images, including some of the nation’s earliest nautical charts.
            - United States  Coast Pilot® is ten volumes of supplemental information  important to navigation. PDFs are updated regularly and are free for download.

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###### More **Information**

          - Office of Coast Survey
          - NOAA-Certified Chart Agents

Did you know?

President Thomas Jefferson founded Coast Survey in 1807 and tasked it with creating charts of the nation's coastal waters so America's young shipping industry could thrive. Reflecting Coast Survey's beginnings, the Historical Map & Chart Collection contains over 35,000 images — charts, maps, sketches, and more — that are available free to the public. 

**Last updated:**   01/18/24**Author:** NOAAHow to cite this article

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