Online and Interactive Maps

Digital Resources| Minnesota| National and International

Digital Resources

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Resources Available in the Automated Cartographic Information Center (ACIC)
The Automated Cartographic Information Center, located in the Borchert Map Library, offers a variety of electronic maps and atlases on CD-ROM. These resources include local, national, and foreign topographic and thematic maps, as well as road maps and route-planning software. Thematic maps include environmental, social, and other topics for Minnesota and elsewhere

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Minnesota

State | Regional | Cities and Counties

Resources in this section are primarily produced by Minnesota state and local agencies. Online and interactive maps of Minnesota are also available in the NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL section below.

SUBJECT INDEX

Agriculture/Forestry | Biology | Census | Environment | Geology
Historical | Land Use/Land Cover | Recreation | Transportation | Water/Hydrology

 

Agriculture/Forestry - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Interagency Information Cooperative (IIC)
Partnership between the Minnesota Forest Resources Council, MN Association of County Land Commissioners, MN Department of Natural Resources, MN Land Management In formation Center, University of MN, and US Forest Service

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources home

• DNR Data Deli
  Provides easy access to a wide variety of spatial data to the Minnesota GIS community at no cost, within the constraints of the Minnesota DNR GIS Data License Agreement; includes FSA and USGS land imagery
• ForNet Applications
  Collction of applications allowing users to view maps and satellite images of Minnesota; includes the Boundary Waters Blowdown Pages, Airphotos Online, Minnesota Wildfire Information Center, the MapMobile, ImageView, ForestView, and ChangeView
• Maps
  Interactive and downloadable maps and airphotos from the DNR, including recreation, hunting and natural resource management maps

Biology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Ornithologists' Union
Includes occurence, distribution and birding hotspot maps of Minnesota

Pine to Prairie Birding Trail
Includes maps of birding hotspots along Minnesota's first birding trail

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Census - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota State Demographic Center
Analyzes and distributes data from state, U.S. Census Bureau and other sources

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Environment - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency home
Includes a variety of environmental and pollution-related maps of Minnesota

• Basins/Watersheds
  Information and maps about basins and watersheds in Minnesota

GeologY - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Geological Survey
Unit of the Newton Horace Winchell School of Earth Sciences in the University of Minnesota and is the University outreach center for the science and technology of earth resources in Minnesota; includes geologic maps of Minnesota

Minnesota Geological Survey -- Miscellaneous Map Series Online
The "miscellaneous maps" series, 1966 - 2006, represents a variety of Minnesota’s geological features and regions, including simple bouguer maps, lineament maps, and maps of surficial and bedrock geology. The maps in this series are available as Adobe PDF files.

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Historical - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Digital Library - Minnesota Reflections
Includes than 5,000 images shared by more than fifty cultural heritage organizations from across the state; offers a broad view of Minnesota's history for researchers, educators, students, and the public

Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Maps Online
Includes original Land Survey maps, plat books and atlases online

Minnesota Historical Society Minnesota Scanned Maps
Individual scanned maps from the MHS collection

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps 1876 - 1970: Minnesota (U of M access only)
Sanborn fire insurance maps are the most frequently consulted maps in both public and academic libraries. Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. This collection covers Minnesota towns and cities from 1867-1970
For a list of Sanborn maps in the Geography and Map Collection at the Library of Congress (as well as symbols guides and other background information), check out the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Online Checklist
For a guide to viewing the Sanborn maps, check out our Sanborn Maps Guide
To view color and b&w versions of the Sanborn maps legend, click here

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Land USE/Land Cover - Click on an arrow to go to a link

County Map of Minnesota
Map showing Minnesota counties produced by the Borchert Map Library

Minnesota 3D Project
Minnesota 3D is a dynamic, GIS-based Internet application that brings together labor market, housing, and development information and analysis for the Twin Cities metro area into one easy-to-use tool for economic and community developers. The M3D project is a partnership between the UMN's Center for Urban and Regional Affairs and a variety of state, county and city agencies and organizations

Minnesota Land Management Information Center (LMIC)
Serves Minnesota by helping other government and non-government organizations achieve better, faster, and more cost-effective results for the state through the creative use of GIS and other geospatial information technologies

• Minnesota Geographic Data Clearinghouse
  Serves as a convenient source for geographic data, ranging from simple state maps to complex geospatial data needed to power Geographic Information Systems; provides access to a wide variety of sources making it the first stop for geographic data for Minnesota

Original Public Land Survey Maps of Minnesota
Digital collection is a compilation of the state’s original plat maps drawn by the U.S. Surveyor General’s Office over the years 1848–1907. The collection includes later plat maps, up to the year 2001, drawn from surveys conducted by the General Land Office and the Bureau of Land Management
NOTE: The original Bureau of Land Management surveyor’s field notes for Minnesota are available on microfilm (#1836 & #1837) in the Microfilm/Microfiche Collections in Wilson Periodicals, one floor up from the Borchert Map Library in the Wilson Library building

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Recreation - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Explore Minnesota
Official tourism website for the State of Minnesota; includes links to state parks and scenic byways

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Transportation - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Department of Transportation home

• BaseMap
  An interactive map with layers containing information about transportation features (roads, railroads and navigable waters), as well as boundary information (State, County, and Municipal Boundaries, Mn/DOT District Boundaries, Civil, and Congressional Townships, State Forests and Parks, Military Reservations, Indian Reservation Lands, National Forests and Parks), aerial photography, and stream and lake locations
• NorthStar Mapper
  From the Minnesota Land Management Information Center's Office of Geographic and Demographic Analysis -- interactive map with layers for place names, roads, boundaries (city, county, etc.), parks, forests, water features, land cover and elevation. Also has a drop-down box near the bottom of the page with aerial photography (statewide and Twin Cities) and topographic map layers
• NorthStar Mapper
  From the Minnesota Land Management Information Center's Office of Geographic and Demographic Analysis -- interactive map with layers for place names, roads, boundaries (city, county, etc.), parks, forests, water features, land cover and elevation. Also has a drop-down box near the bottom of the page with aerial photography (statewide and Twin Cities) and topographic map layers
• Geospatial Data
  Includes maps and data related to right of way, parcels and railroads (in column on right side of web page)
• The Official Minnesta State Highway Map
  Home of the official Minnesota State Highway Map; includes link to MNDOT's Map and Manual Sales Office
• Traffic Volume Maps
  Maps displaying annual average daily traffic (AADT) and heavy commercial average daily traffic (HCADT) throughout the state

Minnesota Motoring Memories
Devoted to "Minnesota automobilia"; includes official road maps and oil company road maps of Minnesota

Unofficial Minnesota Highways Page
Created by Steve Riner, this site provides history and overview of Minnesota's highway network from the standpoint of a long-time user who enjoys the technical aspects of building and maintaining highway systems

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Water/Hydrology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts Where is My Watershed District?
Provides watershed district maps

See also ENVIRONMENT above

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REGIONAL - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Metropolitan Council
The regional planning agency serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area and providing essential services to the region

• GIS at the Metropolitan Coucil
  Supports the Council's planning, transit and environmental services activities through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology; the department works very closely with MetroGIS to facilitate the sharing of GIS data among government agencies within the Twin Cites Metropolitan Area; includes a variety of interactive maps

CITIES AND COUNTIES - Click on an arrow to go to a link

City of Minneapolis Maps
Includes a variety of downloadable maps of the City of Minnepolis

City of Saint Paul Maps
Includes a variety of downloadable maps of the City of Saint Paul

Minnesota Department of Transportation City and County Maps
854 cities and 87 counties, updated annually.

Hennepin County Maps and Drawings
Maps and drawings produced by Hennepin County, including recreation, parcel and residential maps and aerial photography

Ramsey County GIS Users' Group
Includes Online Mapping, an interactive map allowing users to map portions of Ramsey County

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National and International

Resources in the section cover the entire United States and other parts of the World. Online and internactive maps specific to Minnesota are available in the MINNESOTA section above.

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SUBJECT INDEX

General | Agriculture/Forestry | Biology | Census | Cultural/Social | Environment | Geology

Historical | Land Use/Land Cover | Meteorology | Recreation | Transportation | Water/Hydrology

 

GeneraL - Click on an arrow to go to a link

CIA World Factbook
Produced by the Central Intelligence Agency; includes country profiles and reference maps

Color Landform Atlas of the United States
Created by Ray Sterner of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, this online atlas contains map sets for each of the 50 states that include a shaded relief map, county map, black & white map, satellite image (NOAA-14), 1895 map (scanned Rand-McNally) and PostScript map.

geodata.gov
U.S. maps and data; one-stop for federal, state and local geographic data

Geology.com
A site devoted to geology and geology-related topics that includes a large collection of political and thematic maps for the United States and over 100 countries

Google Maps
Google's dynamic, interactive map site that features draggable maps - "no clicking and waiting for graphics to reload each time you want to view the adjacent parts of a map"

Holt, Rinehart and Winston World Atlas
Provides small, color maps of countries, regions, states, and continents. Maps are of a very small scale, for general reference purposes only

MapQuest
A commercial service that allows users to view and print simple road maps of almost anywhere in the world. Also allows users to retrieve driving directions within the U.S., fetch traffic reports, and create personalized maps

National Atlas of Canada
Provides authoritative, current and accessible geographic information products at a national level. Working with partners, the Atlas facilitates the integration and analysis of diverse data in order to increase overall knowledge about Canada

National Atlas of the USA
Created by the U.S. Department of the Interior, this interactive map tool allows users to create their own maps of areas within the 50 states according to a number of variables, including geology, environment, people, agriculture and biology

National Geographic MapMachine
Satellite, street maps and more in National Geographic's online atlas, powered by ESRI

National Map (U.S. Geological Survey)
An online interactive map service billed as the nation's topographic map for the 21st century.

Outline Map Sites
Contains links to various blank and outline map sites; page produced by the Perry-Castaneda Library Map Collection (University of Texas at Austin Libraries)

Terraserver USA
Operated by Microsoft and partnered with the U.S. Geoglogical Survey, this site provides free public access to a vast data store of topographic maps and aerial photographs of the United States

Terraserver.com
Includes a variety of aerial photography, satellite imagery and related prodects; primarily fee-based

TopoZone
Delivers "the Web's most complete set of digital topographic maps, aerial photographs, and related mapping information to the professional and outdoor recreation communities"; primarily fee-based

ViaMichelin
A commercial service focusing on European road users; services include: displaying maps and locating places on them, route planning, finding hotels and restaurants, tourist sights, traffic and weather information

Yahoo! Maps
A commercial service that allows users to view and print simple road maps of almost anywhere in the world. Also allows users to retrieve driving directions within the U.S., fetch traffic reports, and create personalized maps

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Agriculture/Forestry - Click on an arrow to go to a link

U.S. Department of Agriculture home

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service
Includes charts and maps by commodity and the Census of Agriculture; see also CENSUS links below

USDA National Resources Conservation Service home

• National Cartography and Geospatial Center
  The mission of the NCGS is to provide the Natural Resources Conservation Service with technical leadership and expertise in the areas of cartography, aerial photography, imagery, natural resources data, geospatial technology, National Resources Inventory, and soil survey
• National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Web Soil Survey
  Allows users to view soil maps and data to determine suitability of soils for a particular use

USDA Forest Service home

• Forest Inventory Mapmaker
  Produces tables and maps from the National FIA Resource Planning Act (RPA) or Timber Products Output (TPO) databases. This program provides the user with the ability to easily generate tables and maps by using a web browser, without the need for an understanding of the underlying data structures; the web application generates the resulting table of forest statistics
• RPA Data Wiz
  Software allows users to create summary tables, graphs, and maps of RPA data with only basic computer skills and resources; available on CD only
• Maps and Brochures
  Contains information about where to purchase National Forest maps and brochures as well as links to online Forest Service maps

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Biology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
NBII is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources; includes interactive maps and data by region

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service home

• Interactive Mapping Sites
  Contains links to Fish and Wildlife Service-related interactive mapping sites, including such sites as the Critical Habitat Portal, the Migratory Bird Data Center and the Environmental Conservation Online System

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Census - Click on an arrow or Icon to go to a link

SimplyMap (U of M access only)
SimplyMap is an Internet-based mapping application that enables users to develop interactive thematic maps and reports using thousands of demographic, business, and marketing data variables.
For assistance, try the SimplyMap Quick Reference Guide

Social Explorer (U of M access only)
Created by Queens College, City University of New York, and partnering with the University of Minnesota's own National Historical Geographic Information System, this subscription edition of Social Explorer offers the ability to create customized maps and reports of demographic, housing, and employment patterns throughout the United States using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data are available by decade between 1940 and 2000 for a variety of geographical entities that are as small as the census tract for certain areas. If you are not affiliated with the University (or cannot make it to one of the libraries on campus), you can still access a limited version at http://www.socialexplorer.com.

U.S. Census Bureau Home

• Online Guide to Cartographic and Geographic Resources
  PDF guide with links to all of the U.S. Census Bureau's cartographic and geographic resources
• American FactFinder
  Source for population, housing, economic, and geographic data
• Census Bureau Geography
  The integrating factor for all U.S. Census Bureau products; the framework on which the data rest
• Maps and Cartographic Resources
  Contains links to the U.S. Census Bureau's map products, boundary files and online mapping resources
• State and County Quickfacts
  Quick, easy access to facts about people, business, and geography

Cultural/Social - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Language of Location
Article and maps related to the pop vs. soda and drinking fountain vs. water fountain debates

Mapping History: The Darkwing Atlas Project
Includes historical maps or maps made in contemporary times portraying past events and circumstances. The project is a joint effort of the Dept. of History and Dept. of Geography at the University of Oregon, and only covers Europe, Middle East & North Africa, and North America

USGenWeb Project
Collection of free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States

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ENVIRONMENT - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Climate Atlas of the United States
Over 2,000 climate maps of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii; download options include Adobe PDF and ESRI Shape Files

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) home

• FEMA Mapping and Analysis Center
  Provides national level Geographic Information System (GIS) support and coordination to the Federal Emergancy Management Agency (FEMA); includes maps of areas affected by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina

NASA Earth Observatory
Provides new satellite imagery and scientific information; the focus is on Earth’s climate and environmental change

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency home

• Envirofacts Data Warehouse
  Provides access to several EPA databases that provide information about environmental activities that may affect air, water, and land anywhere in the United States
• Enviromapper
  Allows users to map various types of environmental information, including air releases, drinking water, toxic releases, hazardous wastes, water discharge permits, and Superfund sites

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Geology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

Geology.com
A site devoted to geology and geology-related topics that includes a large collection of political and thematic maps for the United States and over 100 countries

U.S. Geological Survey

• Earth Explorer
  Allows users to query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products through the USGS
• Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
  Data available via the EROS Data Center (EDC) includes aerial photography, maps products, elevation products, satellite products and land cover products
• Map Information
  Contains information about the various USGS topographic, geographic and other special purpose maps and charts available in a variety of print and digital formats
• National Geologic Map Database
  National Clearinghouse for geologic maps, datasets, and related geoscience information
• National Map
  An online interactive map service billed as the nation's topographic map for the 21st century.
• NWISWeb
  Provides a comprehensive gateway to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
• USGS Library
  Access to over 300,000 book, map, and serial records in the U.S. Geological Survey Library online catalog; includes links to other online map and mapping resources

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Historical - Click on an arrow to go to a link

American Memory Map Collections
Focuses on Americana and cartographic treasures of the Library of Congress

David Rumsey Map Collection
Collection focuses on rare 18th and 19th century North and South America maps and other cartographic materials; can be used to study history, genealogy and family history

Maps of War
This site features Flash-animated maps of the history of war and wars throughout the world

National Archives Cartographic and Architectural Records
The National Archives holdings include over 15 millions maps, charts, aerial photographs, architectural drawings, patents and ship plans; while these items are not available online, information about ordering reproductions is available here

South Asia maps
Mostly historical collection of maps of Southern Asia from Columbia University

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Land Use/Land Cover - Click on an arrow to go to a link

U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) home
Includes maps of public lands managed by the BLM

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State of the Land
This site provides data and analysis on land use, soil erosion, water quality,
wetlands, and other issues regarding the conservation and use of natural resources.

USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS)
Data available via the EROS Data Center (EDC) includes aerial photography, maps products, elevation products, satellite products and land cover products

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Meteorology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

• National Ocean Service Data Explorer
  Offers interactive mapping tools that allow users to locate NOS products in any area in the United States and its territories through a metadata catalog
• National Environmental Satellite, Data In Information Service (NESDIS)
  Per its homepage, "provides timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life"
• National Weather Service
  Includes a variety of interactive weather maps showing current conditions
• Office of Coast Survey Historical Map and Chart Collection
  The Office of Coast Survey's Historical Map & Chart Collection contains over 20,000 maps and charts from the late 1700s to present day; site includes an image catalog containing 21,000+ maps and charts dating from 1655 to 2001

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Recreation - Click on an arrow to go to a link

American Trails
American Trails' mission is to pursue a national infrastructure of trails and greenways that serves a full range of activities; includes links to trails organizations, agencies, and support groups in every state sorted by trail type

National Park Service Interactive Map Center
Access to this site is via the NPS Geography and Mapping Technologies Geographic Information Systems page. Contains information about and maps of national parks; delivers base maps and park brochure maps for geographic reference and navigation to and within parks

National Park Service Maps
Contains digital versions of maps found in the official brochures provided to National Park visitors; maps available asPDF, Adobe Illustrator and JPEG files

Rails to Trails Conservancy
Non-profit organization "creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people"; includes TrailLink.com, an online trail finder

Trails from Rails
Site designed to give cyclists a list of many of the best bicycle touring trails in the US; includes links to trail maps by state

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Transportation - Click on an arrow to go to a link

The 50 States Government Sources: State Maps
Resources for ordering printed highway maps, which are usually available either via the state Department of Transportation or the state's Tourism division through their state vacation guides; site produced by the Evergreen State College (WA)

Railways in Europe
Railway maps of European countries, including railway networks, border lines, border stations and miscelleneous information

U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics home

• Geographic Information
  National resource for transportation spatial data and analysis that utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS); includes downloadable maps and the National Transportation Atlas database

U.S. Department of Transportation home

• Federal Highway Administration
  Includes a variety of highway and planning maps; includes a feature on the 50th anniversary of the Eisenhower Interstate System
• National Highway System
  Includes state maps of the National Highway System

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Water/Hydrology - Click on an arrow to go to a link

National Wetlands Inventory
NWI produces and provides information on the characteristics, extent, and status of the Nation's wetlands and deepwater habitats and other wildlife habitats; contains a variety of maps and data including the interactive Wetlands Mapper

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Surf Your Watershed
Allows users to locate, use, and share environmental information about their state and watershed

U.S. Geological Survey NWISWeb
Provides a comprehensive gateway to water-resources data collected at approximately 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico

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