Access curated geospatial data resources commonly used in research, spatial analysis, mapping, and visualization projects. These collections include environmental, demographic, topographic, climate, imagery, and historic datasets from trusted government, academic, and scientific organizations.
Whether you are beginning a new GIS project or expanding an existing analysis, these resources can help support data discovery, spatial research, and map production workflows.
Featured Geospatial Data Resources
United States Census Bureau
National demographic and geographic datasets including boundaries, roads, housing, and population statistics.
American Community Survey (ACS)
Detailed annual demographic and socioeconomic survey data supporting community, policy, and population research.
Terra Populus
Integrated datasets connecting population, land use, agriculture, and climate information for studying human-environment interactions.
National Land Cover Database (NLCD)
Land cover and land use datasets for the United States useful for environmental analysis, urbanization studies, and landscape change detection.
National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)
Wetlands and aquatic habitat datasets supporting ecological, hydrological, and conservation research.
Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)
Detailed soil maps and attributes supporting environmental, agricultural, and land-use analysis.
Gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO)
Nationwide seamless soil datasets optimized for regional and national-scale analysis.
United States Forest Service (USFS)
Forest cover, vegetation, and land management datasets derived from remote sensing and field observations.
NASA Earth Observations
Global environmental and climate datasets updated regularly for monitoring earth systems and environmental change.
NOAA Climate Data Online (CDO)
Historical weather and climate observations including temperature, precipitation, wind, and atmospheric conditions.
National Ocean Service (NOS)
Marine science datasets including hydrography, shoreline mapping, water levels, and coastal data.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center
Official flood hazard and floodplain datasets supporting hazard assessment and risk analysis.
OpenTopography
High-resolution topographic and LiDAR datasets with visualization and terrain analysis tools.
USGS EarthExplorer
Access Landsat imagery, aerial photography, digital elevation models, and other remote sensing datasets.
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)
Global elevation datasets commonly used for terrain analysis and environmental modeling.
ASTER Global DEM
Satellite-derived elevation and land surface datasets supporting environmental and terrain analysis.
USGS National Map
Comprehensive topographic maps and foundational geospatial datasets for the United States.
USGS Orthorectified Aerial Photography
Georeferenced aerial imagery suitable for mapping, planning, and spatial analysis applications.
3D Hydrography Program (3DHP)
Advanced hydrography datasets derived from LiDAR including streams, lakes, watersheds, and catchments.
Utah Geospatial Resource Center (UGRC)
Utah’s primary source for statewide geospatial data including imagery, transportation, boundaries, elevation, parcels, demographics, and environmental datasets.
National Archives Cartographic & Architectural Branch
Historic maps, aerial imagery, and cartographic collections documenting landscape and urban change over time.
National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP)
Historical aerial imagery of the United States collected between 1987 and 2004.
National Aerial Imagery Program (NAIP)
High-resolution aerial imagery updated regularly during agricultural growing seasons.
TouchTerrain
Open-source web application for generating 3D printable terrain models from real-world elevation data.
Connect with GIS Services
Justin Sorensen, GISP
GIS Specialist
J. Willard Marriott Library — 2751B📞 (801) 585-7349
✉️ justin.sorensen@utah.edu
Schedule a GIS Consultation
GIS Services provides collaborative support for faculty and researchers working with spatial data, GIS analysis, mapping, and visualization.
Whether you are starting a new project or need assistance with existing research, consultations are available to help support your spatial workflows and research goals.
Virtual & In-Person Options Available!
ArcGIS Software Licenses
Access to ArcGIS software now requires a named-user license. The University of Utah provides licenses to students at no cost through the DIGIT Lab. Contact the DIGIT Lab to request access or receive assistance with licensing.