Maps and Mapping » Historical Topographic Maps

• Are metadata available for the historical topo maps?
  Yes. FGDC-compliant metadata will accompany each map. ...
  
  
• How can I search for and order historical USGS topographic maps?
  In 2010-12 the USGS scanned its entire library of topographic quadrangle maps.  Nearly 180,000 maps have been published in GeoPDF and are available to the public free of charge. This set of GeoPDF files is referred to as the Historical Topographic Map...
  
  
• How will digital copies of the historical maps be made available to the public?
  The GeoPDF file format is free to download from the USGS Store at (http://store.usgs.gov/). The average file size is about 12 MB per map. Plans are underway to offer the map in GeoTIFF format and be available from The National Map Viewer at http://national...
  
  
• How will it be known when a particular historical map has been scanned and is available for download?
  The index of available quads is located on the website at http://nationalmap.gov/historical/status.  A set of the original historical topographic maps reside in the archives of the USGS Library in Reston, VA. This is the largest repository of this c...
  
  
• How will printed copies of the maps be made available to the public?
  Printed copies can be ordered at the store.usgs.gov or by calling 1-888-275-8747 (1-888-ASK-USGS) option 1. Maps are $15.00. Major credit cards are accepted and a $5 handling fee is applied to all orders. ...
  
  
• It appears there are multiple copies of the same map as they all have the same date. Is there a difference?
  Yes, these are different maps. After the initial preparation and printing maps are either reprinted or revised before a new printing. The date used to identify a map is the larger date in the lower-right corner. If there are multiple editions with the same...
  
  
• What is metadata?
  Metadata, as described by the Federal Geographic Data Committee, is "the background information which describes the content, quality, condition, and other appropriate characteristics of the data. Paper maps contain metadata, primarily as part of the map le...
  
  
• What is the definition of the word 'georeferenced'?
  Georeferencing means that features on the historical maps are tied to the Earth's coordinate system using latitude and longitude. Georeferencing then allows the historic quadrangles to be used in a GIS system and combined with other data. Users who dow...
  
  
• What scales of maps are included in the USGS historical topographic maps collection?
  Map sheets were initially published at three primary scales (1:62,500 scale; 1:125,000 scale; and 1:250,000 scale) with contour intervals of 10, 20, 50, 100, or 200 feet depending on the terrain. In terms of scale and latitude and longitude, these map spec...
  
  
• When was the topographic map series for the conterminous 48 States, Hawaii, Alaska and Territories completed?
  The USGS completed the primary topographic map series of the conterminous United States at the scale of 1:24,000 in 1992. Revisions were made until 2006. Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Trust Territories were done at other scales and will be included in t...
  
  
• Why are some of the historical topo maps yellowed; why do some have extra stamps or marks?
  The goal of this collection (of historical topographic maps) is to find, catalog, and georeference all topographic maps published by the USGS. The intent is to allow complete access to the content of these maps so the history documented by this collection ...
  
  
• Will USGS historical topo maps be made available in GeoTIFF format?
  The USGS has no plans to distribute historical topo maps in GeoTIFF because of very large native file sizes and current budget limitations/program priorities. Additional formats, other than GeoPDF, may be evaluated in the future if program b...
  
  
• You state the first release of historical topographic maps for a State as "standard cells," and "nonstandard maps" will be released as part of a second phase. What does this mean?
  The USGS topographic maps are best known as "quadrangles." The quadrangle maps normally cover a standard unit of latitude and longitude. An example is the 1:24,000 maps that are 7.5 x 7.5 minutes. Another USGS FAQ provides a complete list of the various sc...