Topographic maps (often referred to as "topo" maps) use elevation contour lines to show the shape and steepness of the Earth's surface. They also may indicate other geographic features, such as roads, railroads, rivers, streams, lakes, mountains, boundaries, and place or feature names.
The United States Geological Survey began mapping the country in 1879 and has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States ever since. The best known USGS maps are the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps, also known as 7.5-minute quadrangles. In addition to elevation, they show such features as streets, buildings, streams, and woods. This is the only uniform map series that covers the entire area of the United States in considerable detail.
The 7.5-minute map series was officially completed in 1992, and in 2001 the program was replaced by The National Map, which is a nationwide collection of integrated data from local, State, Federal, and other sources.
The following resources recount the history of topographic maps, explain how to read a topographic map, describe the process of creating topographic maps, and more.
The UNT Libraries' government publications collection has 7.5-minute topographic maps in hardcopy for most of Texas, as well as for Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. If you would like to see a topographic map for a particular area, ask for assistance at the Sycamore Library Service Desk. Be aware that since most of these maps are in our Remote Storage facility, they may take a few days to obtain.
All dates and scales of topographic maps can be downloaded for free from the USGS website, and paper prints of topographic maps, including customized maps, may be requested for a fee. For instructions, see How do I find, download, or order topographic maps? at the USGS website.
Many Federal Depository Libraries can provide access to paper topographic maps.
These non-governmental sources also sell paper copies of topographic maps:
