{"id":534,"date":"2017-09-21T20:40:03","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T20:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/160-geography\/data\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T16:25:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T16:25:01","slug":"data","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/gis\/data\/","title":{"rendered":"Data"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>An abundant amount of GIS data (in the form of shapefiles and\/or .e00 files) is available via the web for free. Below are some useful websites where one can download GIS data. Please note that all links will open in the same external window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/geocommons.com\/\">GeoCommons<\/a>: Enables everyone to find, use and share geographic data and maps. Data ranges from local to international.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"link-group block-container\" >\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-row\">\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-container\">\n                <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">MINNESOTA &amp; THE TWIN CITIES<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"link-group__links-row\">\n        <ul class=\"link-group__link link-group__link--\">\n        \t                <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mngeo.state.mn.us\/chouse\/metalong.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    MnGEO&#8217;s Clearinghouse for GIS Data\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.datafinder.org\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    MetroGIS DataFinder (local Twin Cities data)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/gisdata.mn.gov\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Minnesota Geospatial Commons\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dot.state.mn.us\/maps\/gisbase\/html\/datafiles.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gis.leg.mn\/html\/download.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Minnesota Legislative Geographic Information Services\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"link-group block-container\" >\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-row\">\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-container\">\n                <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">NATIONAL DATASETS<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"link-group__links-row\">\n        <ul class=\"link-group__link link-group__link--\">\n        \t                <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/data.geocomm.com\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    GIS Data Depot (must create username\/password to download)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalatlas.gov\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    National Atlas\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/arcdata.esri.com\/data\/tiger2000\/tiger_download.cfm\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    TIGER\/Line Files &#8211; 2000 (can be used for geocoding)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/geo\/www\/tiger\/tgrshp2009\/tgrshp2009.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    TIGER\/Line Files &#8211; 2009\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/geo\/www\/cob\/bdy_files.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    US Census Cartographic Boundary Files (US Census 1990 and 2000)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov\/viewer.htm\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    USGS National Map Viewer\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/redistrictingdatahub.org\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Redistricting Data Hub\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"link-group block-container\" >\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-row\">\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-container\">\n                <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">INTERNATIONAL DATASETS<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"link-group__links-row\">\n        <ul class=\"link-group__link link-group__link--\">\n        \t                <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/data.geocomm.com\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    GIS Data Depot (must create username\/password to download)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/webgis.wr.usgs.gov\/globalgis\/datasets.htm\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    USGS Global GIS Databases\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalmapper.com\/index_data.html\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Global Mapper website\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"link-group block-container\" >\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-row\">\n            <div class=\"link-group__heading-container\">\n                <h2 class=\"base-lockup__heading\">FINDING LATITUDE\/LONGITUDE<\/h2>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"link-group__links-row\">\n        <ul class=\"link-group__link link-group__link--\">\n        \t                <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/pagesperso-orange.fr\/universimmedia\/geo\/loc.htm\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Find latitude\/longitude with Google Maps (find with addesses or on the map itself)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/geonames.usgs.gov\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)  (US and foreign locations)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/earth-info.nga.mil\/gns\/html\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) GEOnet Names Server (GNS) (foreign locations)\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                            <li class=\"link-group__link-item\">\n                    <a class=\"base-cta-featured\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/research\/conducting_research\/vocabularies\/tgn\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t    Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names Online\n\t\t\t\t\t    <svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"base-symbol base-cta-featured__arrow\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t    <use xlink:href=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/macalester-2020\/dist\/svgs\/symbol-arrow.svg#icon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An abundant amount of GIS data (in the form of shapefiles and\/or .e00 files) is available via the web for free. Below are some useful websites where one can download GIS data. Please note that all links will open in the same external window. GeoCommons: Enables everyone to find, use and share geographic data and [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":462,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-534","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=534"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5261,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/534\/revisions\/5261"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.macalester.edu\/geography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}