GEOG 360: Principles of GIS Mapping - Fall 2013: Geospatial Data Resources

Geospatial Data Collections at UW

The Map Collection has digital geospatial data on CD-ROM, DVD and on servers for research and educational use.

Starting Point: Washington State Geospatial Data Archive (WAGDA)

Our collection focuses on the Puget Sound and State of Washington areas, but we also have national and international datasets. Examples of our data include:

digital orthophotos of Seattle and the Puget Sound area
U.S. Census data
digital raster graphics (DRGs).

We also have datasets from the City of Seattle, King, Snohomish and other Washington counties. Information in these datasets includes street layers, bike paths, critical areas (e.g., potential slide areas), building outlines, and many more.

Center for Social Science Computing & Research (CSSCR)
As Geography students, you have free access to the CSSCR Geography/GIS Consultant!

International Data Resources

Suggested Starting Point:

World Countries - GIS Data on WAGDA

DIVA-GIS
Download country level data for any country in the world: administrative boundaries, roads, railroads, altitude, land cover, population density.
FAO GeoNetwork (UN Food and Agriculture Organization)
The FAO GeoNetwork provides Internet access to interactive maps, satellite imagery and related spatial databases maintained by FAO and its partners.
Center for International Earth Science Information Network
CIESIN works at the intersection of the social, natural, and information sciences, and specializes in on-line data and information management, spatial data integration and training, and interdisciplinary research related to human interactions in the environment.
AfricaMap
Based on the Harvard University Geospatial Infrastructure (HUG) platform, and was developed by the Center for Geographic Analysis to make spatial data on Africa easier for researchers to discover and explore.
GeoGratis
Canadian government GIS repository provided by the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada. Contains both physical and human geography datasets, vector and raster, for free. Most files are in Interchange Format (e00).
GeoBase
Provides access to a common, up-to-date and maintained base of quality geospatial data for all of Canada. Registration is mandatory for downloading GeoBase data

Contact Information

For questions or help with GIS, geospatial data, or to set up an appointment with UW Libraries' GIS staff:

email uwlib-gisatlib@uw.edu or call (206) 543-4164

Data Related Library Units

Local, State & Regional Data Resources

Suggested Starting Points:

Washington State - GIS Data on WAGDA
Washington Counties - GIS Data and Links on WAGDA
Washington Cities - GIS Data and Links on WAGDA

City of Seattle GIS Data
(UWNetID required)
King County GIS Geoportal
Puget Sound Regional Council: Data and Maps
Download GIS shapefiles of regional planning boundaries, census tracts, and PSRC forecasting zones.
WA Dept. of Natural Resource GIS Data Center
Here is where you will find natural resources and related data for use in GIS software.
WA Dept. of Ecology GIS Data
WA Dept. of Transportation Geodata Distribution Catalog
A centralized distribution site for GIS data produced at the Washington State Department of Transportation.
WA Dept. of Health GIS Data
WA Dept. of Revenue
Various district boundary files (e.g. fire, school, library, airport, etc.).

US Data Resources

Suggested Starting Point:

United States - GIS Data on WAGDA

geo.data.gov
A primary resource for geospatial data discovery, whether working at national, state, or local scales. Physical, environmental, social and cultural data with a geographical aspect are included.
The National Map Viewer and Download Platform
Interactive search and retrieval system for a wide variety of vector and raster data including: administrative boundaries, geology, hydrology, imagery and more.
USDA Geospatial Data Gateway
Natural resource and agricultural data for viewing, querying, and downloading (requires up-to-date java).
EPA Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG)
The EDG is a gateway to Web-based geospatial information and information services.
Explore Census Data
Population, housing, economic and geographic data from the US Census.