Maps in mountainous areas may have contour intervals of 100 feet or more. The contour interval is printed in the margin of each U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) map. Bathymetric contours are shown in blue or black, depending on their location. They show the …

Nov 3, 2022 · Use The National Map Viewer to explore base-layer GIS data, see availability of USGS topographic maps, and create your own web map.

Interpreting the colored lines, areas, and other symbols is the first step in using topographic maps. Features are shown as points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent. For example, individual houses may be shown as small black squares.

Maps published 2013-present: US Topo maps have a symbol sheet attached to the map file (PDF format only). Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat and click on the paperclip icon. Maps published 1947-2009: See the Topographic Map Symbols pamphlet. Most of these symbols are still in use.

The USGS Topographic Maps use symbols or colors to represent features, and this Topographic Map Key explains what they mean. Contour lines are distinctive to the topographic maps but there are other features shown on the maps including buildings, water and vegetation.

We've added the ability to preview maps within the interface and give you tools to compare any historical map with maps of the present. Filters and searches work seamlessly with the map records table to get you the info you need with fewer clicks.

US Topo maps are freely distributable and are available for download on the Web from the USGS Store (http://store.usgs.gov) in Portable Document Format (PDF) with geospatial extensions (GeoPDF®, a registered trademark of TerraGo Technologies). PDF maps can be viewed and printed with any conforming PDF software.

There are three ways to get full-scale plots of USGS topographic quadrangle maps, including H istorical Topographic maps (produced 1884-2006), U S Topo maps (produced 2009-present) or customized OnDemand Topos.

Interpreting the colored lines, areas, and other symbols is the first step in using topographic maps. Features are shown as points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent. For example, individual houses may be shown as small black squares.

Interpreting the colored lines, areas, and other symbols is the first step in using topographic maps. Features are shown as points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent. For example, individual houses may be shown as small black squares.