Maps and Geographic Information Systems: U.S. Government

The Census Bureau's American Factfinder allows you to create maps from census data. Maps can be created at the city, county or state level. Information on age, race, gender, education, housing and other demographic and economic data can be mapped.

• Air Quality--Resources, scientific data, and research laboratories for air quality in the US.
• Climate--National weather data, climate modeling, and national climate research centers.
• Coasts--Resources on the nation's coastal environment, their resources, and their environmental problems.
• Fisheries--"Protecting our nation's marine resources through research, management, enforcement, and conservation."
• Historical Map & Chart Collection--Over 35,000 scanned images.
• Hurricanes--General information and emergency resources.
• National Geodetic Survey--Improving surveying capabilities nation-wide.
• National Weather Service (NWS)--Warnings, forecasts, hurricanes, weather safety, glossary, and other features.
• Ocean Service--Observing, researching, and managing the nation's coastal and oceanic resources.
• Office of Coast Survey--The Nation's official chartmaker.

• Elevations and Distances in the United States
• Finding and Ordering USGS Topographic Maps
• Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)--domestic geographic feature names
• National Geologic Map Database
• National Mapping Information
• National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA)--Data on water quality from over 50 watersheds from coast to coast.
• Water Resources of the United States--Summary of US ground and surface water statistics, including water quality, contaminants, and regional studies.
• Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center - Offers aerial photography, satellite imagery, elevation, land cover, digitized maps and other GIS data.
• Natural Hazards Includes data on earthquake, landslide and volcano hazards; coastal and marine geology; geomagnetism; and the global seismographic network.

• NRI Data, Maps, and Analysis -- U.S. Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Service -- Data and analysis on land use, soil erosion, water quality, wetlands, and other issues regarding the conservation and use of natural resources

There is a wide variety of government maps available:

• Political maps from the Executive Office of the President and the CIA
• Demographic maps from the Census Bureau
• Topographical maps from the USGS
• Land use maps from the Dept of the Interior
• Nautical charts from the NOAA
• Historic military battle maps from the Dept of War
• Historic maps showing railroads, rivers, roads, etc.
• Maps of federal lands, parks, etc. from the USDA

Where  to find government maps that are cataloged in the UM LIBRARIES CATALOG and which show a location in Ellis Library.

• If MERLIN indicates MU ELLIS DOCS MAP as the location, it will be in one of two places.
  • If the map was shipped to us folded, it will be shelved upright on shelves outside the Docs office.
  • If it was shipped to us rolled, then the map will be stored flat in a map cabinet located just outside the Docs office.
  • There is no way for anyone to know whether the map was shipped to us folded or rolled, so you essentially have to check both places.
  • Click on the location link in MERLIN, to get a very detailed page with photographs showing the map shelves, a floor map with map shelves clearly marked.
• If MERLIN indicates MU ELLIS DOCS, the map is shelved with the regular government documents in 1 East.