Data · Select a property, draw a box or polygon, or upload a boundary

Download USGS 3DEP lidar elevation data for any New York area

Download the New York lidar DEM for exactly the area you need, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program: a GeoTIFF elevation model, contours as DXF, GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, SVG or PDF, a 3D mesh as STL or OBJ, or a georeferenced color aerial photo of the site (USGS NAIP, public domain) for your GIS or CAD. Draw or select the area; the file is cut, resampled and written for you.

The National Map has the same public-domain data, but hands you raw tiles to merge, clip and convert in GIS. This skips that step for site-sized areas.

Download Data on Mount Marcy. The walkthrough below shows how this was made.

Free to run · pay to download

See the full result on the map free, with no account. Download GeoTIFF, contours (DXF, GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, SVG, PDF), STL or OBJ meshes, and a georeferenced aerial photo with a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, a one-off payment in US dollars that never renews. Every download on the site is included while the pass lasts.

Open Download Data on the map →Pass prices and what’s included

Who uses this

GIS analysts and surveyors. Get a DEM cut to a site’s extent without tile wrangling.
CAD users. Pull contours straight into AutoCAD or Civil 3D in New York State Plane feet.
Makers and educators. Download an STL of any New York landscape to 3D print.

When to use it

You want the elevation model itself for GIS, CAD, drainage or structural software.
You want to 3D print a property, a mountain or a stretch of coast.
You want contours in a specific format without generating them on screen first.
You want a georeferenced aerial photo of the site as a CAD or GIS underlay.

Tools for your job

Download Data is one step in a bigger question. These are the jobs it helps with, and the tools that go with it.

For the job: Plans, CAD, GIS and 3D printing

I need the terrain as a file.

1.Download Data (this tool) — Contours, a GeoTIFF elevation model, a georeferenced aerial photo or a 3D mesh for printing.
2.Contour Lines — Contours previewed on the map before you export them.
3.Elevate a File — Adds ground elevation to your own GPX, KML, GeoJSON or CSV points.
4.Add Elevation — A single spot elevation, for a floor level or a tank.
5.Terrain Stats — The highest, lowest and mean ground elevation of an area, and how the land is spread between them.

How to use it

Select a property, draw an area or upload a boundary. For a property, the download covers the rectangle around it, not the clipped outline.
Choose the product (contours, a DEM raster, an aerial photo or a mesh) and the format.
Set the contour interval or the mesh options where they apply, then download.

Step by step: Mount Marcy

We set up a download of the terrain around the Mount Marcy summit area.

1.Zoom to the area and choose Download this view, or draw a rectangle or select a property. Then pick contours, a GeoTIFF elevation model or a 3D mesh, and the format.

What it showed

The panel shows the resolution before you download: 3.3 ft per pixel for a small lot, coarser for a large area.

Screenshots from New York Elevation Tools. Imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community. Elevation data from USGS 3D Elevation Program. USGS 3DEP data is in the public domain (U.S. Government work).

Try it yourself on Mount Marcy →

How it works

The USGS 3DEP bare-earth model is read for the area at up to 1,024 pixels on the longest side and written in the chosen format. The GeoTIFF is in WGS 84 latitude and longitude (EPSG:4326), above NAVD 88, with a no-data value for gaps; values in the file are in meters, as USGS publishes them. Contour files carry elevations in feet; the DXF is in New York State Plane, US survey feet (zone recorded in the file). Meshes are built from the same grid with a base so they print as a solid.

The aerial photo is USGS NAIP orthoimagery (public domain), fetched at up to 4,096 pixels on the longest side and delivered as a JPEG with a world file and projection file in Web Mercator (EPSG:3857), the imagery's own grid, so QGIS, ArcGIS and Civil 3D drop it in place under the DEM and contours. For a property it covers the parcel plus 100 ft on every side; for a drawn area it covers exactly that area.

Every file credits its source (the USGS 3D Elevation Program, or USGS and USDA for the aerial photo) in its metadata or an accompanying attribution.

Reading the results

The panel shows the output resolution before you download. A small site is delivered at 3.3 ft per pixel; a block 7.5 miles on a side at roughly 39 ft per pixel.

The share of the area that fell outside lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel is reported, and the file is not survey grade where that share is high.

Limits and caveats

Areas up to 7.5 miles per side.
Downloads cover the rectangle around a selected property or drawn shape, not its outline. For contours clipped to a property, export GeoJSON or KML from Contour Lines.
Exports are capped at 1,024 pixels on the longest side. Select a smaller area when you need full detail.
USGS 3DEP data is in the public domain, so the files are yours to use, including commercially. Crediting “USGS 3D Elevation Program” is good practice.

Data and attribution

Results come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth elevation model: lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel where it has been flown, and the 1/3 arc-second model, about 33 ft per pixel, elsewhere, with elevations above NAVD 88. This edition uses bare-earth terrain only. Buildings and trees are excluded.

USGS 3DEP elevation and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain. Credit the USGS 3D Elevation Program. NYS public tax parcels are assessment data provided as is, not surveys. Esri World Imagery follows its own terms and is display-only; downloaded aerial imagery comes from USGS NAIP.

Questions

What resolution will the GeoTIFF be?

A site-sized area is delivered at the full 3.3 ft per pixel. Exports are capped at 1,024 pixels on the longest side, so larger areas are resampled: a block 7.5 miles on a side comes out at roughly 39 ft per pixel. The panel shows the resolution before you download.

What units is the GeoTIFF in?

Values in the file are in meters above NAVD 88, as USGS publishes them, on a WGS 84 latitude and longitude grid (EPSG:4326). For feet, export contours: every contour file carries its elevation in feet, and the DXF is in New York State Plane, US survey feet.

Can I download an aerial photo of the site?

Yes. Choose Aerial: a georeferenced color aerial photo from USGS NAIP (public domain), about 1 ft per pixel where available, delivered as a JPEG with a world file and projection file in Web Mercator (EPSG:3857), so it drops straight into QGIS, ArcGIS or AutoCAD Civil 3D under the contours. For a property it covers the parcel plus 100 ft on every side. The aerial basemap on the map is Esri World Imagery, for display only.

Can I use the data commercially?

Yes. USGS 3DEP data and USGS NAIP imagery are in the public domain. Crediting “USGS 3D Elevation Program” (and USGS and USDA for the aerial photo) is good practice, and every file carries that credit.

Ready to try it?

Open Download Data on the map →

Free to use, no account. Files are generated on this site’s server from public-domain USGS 3DEP data. Downloading the results needs a pass: see pricing.