Overview[]
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is working with federal, state, and local agencies across the country to create a seamless digital base map for the nation. The goal of the National Map is to become the nation's source for trusted, consistent, integrated, and current topographic information available online for a broad range of uses. By integrating data from many federal, state, and local sources on an ongoing basis, the currency and accuracy of the map are enhanced, making it effective for use in a wide variety of applications such as environmental science and land management, natural hazards and emergency response, and resource planning and decision making.
The National Map, as currently envisioned, will provide topographic information at the 1:24,000 scale, meaning that roughly one inch on the map equals 2,000 feet.