Geospatial Databases

Listed below are a few of the most commonly used databases to obtain geospatial information for GIS. Select each header to learn more.

Big Ten Academic Alliance Geoportal Collaborative pilot project of the Big Ten institutions allowing users to search for databases and imagery form a variety of filters.	NRCS Web Soil Survey Collection of over a century of U.S. soil survey datasets.
Minnesota DOT Geographic Data, Mapping, and Analysis Minnesota Department of Transportation’s database of roads, railroads, and jurisdictional boundaries that affect ground transport.	OpenStreetMaps Offers open-source data for many countries worldwide.
Minnesota Geospatial Commons The central hub for all public Minnesota geodata.	Social Explorer Combines Census and mapping data to make and utilize demographic maps.
Minnesota Geospatial Information Office State government office for all Minnesota geodata.	United States Census Provides geospatial data directly from the decennial census.
Minnesota Legislative GIS Office Provides geodata on statewide boundaries and districts.	USDA Geospatial Data Gateway Primarily offers datasets geared towards agricultural and environmental needs.
Minnesota MetroGIS Available geodata for the seven-county metro area of Minneapolis-St. Paul.	USGS EarthExplorer Offers all publicly available space-borne imagery, including declassified data.
The National Map Primary source for elevation data from Digital Elevation Models.