Research Guides: GIS Data: Data Sources for U. S.

General sources

These sites are either search engines for finding data or sites that have a large accumulation of data layers.

Data.gov
Data.gov's mission is to make machine readable, high value data more available to the public. You can do a keyword search or search by agency.
GeoPlatform Portal
The Geospatial Platform provides ready access to federally maintained geospatial data, services and applications. The content of all datasets and services demarcated with the Data.gov globe have been verified by the Agency to be consistent with Federal privacy, national security, and information quality policies. As an additional service to our users, we also provide access to data from our partners across State, Tribal, Regional and local governments as well as non-governmental organizations.
List of GIS Data Sources
This site lists data sources for using within GIS software.
The National Map
"The National Map is the product of a consortium of Federal, State, and local partners who provide geospatial data to enhance America's ability to access, integrate, and apply geospatial data at global, national, and local scales."
SEDAC
SEDAC, the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center, is one of the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) in the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). SEDAC focuses on human interactions in the environment.

Data from the Census Bureau

Cartographic Boundary Files
Downloadable cartographic boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.
TIGER/Line files
The official web site for TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) system. All the geographic boundaries for the United States.
U. S. Census Bureau
The main site for any information concerning the counting of the American population.

National Park Service

National Park Service GIS Program
Layers of data for some of the national parks. This site also contains regional maps of parks, monuments, etc.

Historical boundaries

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
From the Newberry Library in Chicago, this is a new product available online to download. These downloadable zipped files contain additional files with the shape files.
United States Congressional District Shapefiles
This site provides digital boundary definitions for every U.S. Congressional District in use between 1789 and 2012. These were produced as part of NSF grant SBE-SES-0241647 between 2009 and 2013.
The current release of these data is experimental.

Flood data

FEMA Flood Map Service
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk. ...

Election data

GIS & Elections: Quick Start Guide
... Recent advancements in technology have provided innovative ways to increase the efficiency, accuracy, and
transparency of elections. This guide provides an overview of areas to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
in elections. ...
MIT Election Data & Science Lab
Their lab supports advances in election science by collecting, analyzing, and sharing core data and findings. They also aim to build relationships with election officials and others to help apply new scientific research to the practice of democracy in the United States. ...

Crime data

Uniform Crime Reporting
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collects, published and archives data on criminal activities.

Health

Chronic Disease GIS Exchange from the CDC
GIS resources from the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
County Health Rankings
The County Health Rankings show us that where we live matters to our health. The health of a community depends on many different factors – ranging from individual health behaviors, education and jobs, to quality of health care, to the environment.
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
The project uses Medicare data to provide information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
Data and Statistics from the CDC
WHO GIS Centre for Health
The global health and medical applications of GIS are numerous and many countries currently lack the benefits of GIS to strengthen their health information system. By connecting maps, apps, data and people the WHO GIS Centre is dedicated to support countries and partners to make informed public health decisions faster and to extend the reach of geospatial information across the organization. ...

Soil surveys

Soil Survey Geographic Database
Online access to soil surveys.

Our neighbors, North & South

Binational Border Transportation
With its counterparts in Mexico and Canada, FHWA has created joint working groups to cooperate on addressing the challenges of improving mobility and security at overland border crossings. Please visit the web sites of each working group to learn more."
North American environmental atlas
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation, consisting of Natural Resources Canada, Mexico National Insitute of Statistics and Geography and the U.S. Geological Survey, created this atlas to show how interconnected the countries on this continent really are.
U.S.-Canada Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG)
The Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG) facilitates the safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. border.
U.S./Mexico Border Data
Geographic data from New Mexico State University for the U.S./Mexico border region.
U.S./Mexico Joint Working Commission (JWC)
The JWC is a binational group which focuses on cooperating on land transportation planning and the facilitation of efficient, safe, and economical cross-border transportation movements between the United States and Mexico.

National Data Sources

3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
To respond to growing needs for high-quality elevation data, the goal of 3DEP is to complete acquisition of nationwide lidar (IfSAR in AK) by 2023 to provide the first-ever national baseline of consistent high-resolution topographic elevation data – both bare earth and 3D point clouds – collected in a timeframe of less than a decade.
ArcGIS Data and Maps
Data layers for use in ArcGIS through ArcGIS Online.
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
From the Newberry Library in Chicago, this is a new product available online to download. These downloadable zipped files contain additional files with the shape files.
Binational Border Transportation
With its counterparts in Mexico and Canada, FHWA has created joint working groups to cooperate on addressing the challenges of improving mobility and security at overland border crossings. Please visit the web sites of each working group to learn more."
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Navigator
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sponsors the Navigator. Navigator is a centralized service to access and share geospatial data making BLM data easier to find for everyone.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
A combination of data, maps and applications using data from the Department of Transportation.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (TranStats)
A policy-neutral agency which gathers data for all types of transportation.
Cartographic Boundary Files
Downloadable cartographic boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Color Landform Atlas of the United States
This site contains shaded relief images for each state in the union.
Data.gov
Data.gov's mission is to make machine readable, high value data more available to the public. You can do a keyword search or search by agency.
Digital Coast
NOAA developed the Digital Coast to meet the unique needs of the coastal management community. The website not only provides coastal data, but also tools, training, and information needed to make these data useful. Although the content comes from many sources, NOAA vets all data.
Digital Line Graphics (DLG's)
These datasets are available in from 100K to larger scales.
National GAP Analysis Program
Gap Analysis is the science of answering this question: How well are we protecting common plants and animals? Developing the data and tools to support that science is the mission of the Gap Analysis Project (GAP).
National Geologic Map Database
A Geoscience resource for maps and related data about: geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics, geochemistry, geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology.
National Hydrography Dataset
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is the surface water component of The National Map. It contains features such as lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, canals, dams and stream gauges. User Help includes interactive tutorials for getting the data.
The National Map
"The National Map is the product of a consortium of Federal, State, and local partners who provide geospatial data to enhance America's ability to access, integrate, and apply geospatial data at global, national, and local scales."
Protected Areas Database of the United States
A database containing the locations and information about protected lands in the U. S.
TIGER/Line files
The official web site for TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) system. All the geographic boundaries for the United States.
U.S.-Canada Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG)
The Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG) facilitates the safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. border.
U.S./Mexico Border Data
Geographic data from New Mexico State University for the U.S./Mexico border region.
U.S./Mexico Joint Working Commission (JWC)
The JWC is a binational group which focuses on cooperating on land transportation planning and the facilitation of efficient, safe, and economical cross-border transportation movements between the United States and Mexico.
U. S. Census Bureau
The main site for any information concerning the counting of the American population.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
GIS data from the Fish & Wildlife for the United States.
U. S. Forest Service Geodata Clearinghouse
The USDA Forest Service Geodata Clearinghouse is an online collection of digital data related to forest resources. Through the Clearinghouse you can find datasets related to forests and grasslands, including boundaries and ownership, natural resources, roads and trails, as well as datasets related to State and private forested areas, including insect and disease threat and surface water importance. You can also find downloadable map products, raster data, and links to other sources of forest resource information.