GIS Data

If you are a GIS professional looking for specific data sets for your mapping and geospatial analysis projects, listed below are good resources to provide you with a head start in your search.  The best approach when acquiring data is to know what you are after before you start looking.  While this appears on the surface to be an obvious approach, it is incredibly important to first ask yourself these questions:

  • What ARE my questions?
  • How much data do I need and of what quality?
  • How can I combine my data to answer my questions?

As you become more involved with GIS, you will quickly realize and appreciate the importance of partnerships within the GIS community.  Reliance on other professionals to provide high-quality data for your project is based largely on blind trust.  Therefore, it is especially important that you practice due diligence, and always approach data with the caveat that what you are about to download is data that may or may not be worthy of the project you are or are going to undertake.

GIS Data Services and Websites
 
FGDC GIS Data Clearinghouse Wizard
 
Geospatial Onestop
 
Starting the Hunt: Guide to Mostly Online and Mostly Free Geospatial and Attribute Data
 
The National Map
 
The GIS Data Depot
 
The Geography Network

News and Updates

02-25-07  Added new links to GIS Data