It’s rare that I’m this excited about a data/GIS resource. It’s equally rare that someone creates an online data/GIS resource as bug-free and comprehensive as the National Map. The USGS has outdone themselves with this nifty application.

The application, at first glance, looks like a typical online map viewer with a slightly more-complicated-than-usual interface. Don’t be fooled…this application packs a real punch. We used National Map to download 1-meter DOQ imagery for use in an ongoing advocacy project. After a little tinkering, I selected the five block area I wanted the DOQ imagery for and began the download. Voila…twenty seconds later I had a GeoTIFF file with imagery of the selected area that is ready for use with ArcGIS.

The National Map offer a lot more than DOQs. Interested in topographic layers? LANDSAT7 imagery? Geology layers? Public land records layers? Transportation layers? National Map has you covered!