For today’s Saga, I’ll be talking about two more FREE GIS data sources that anyone can access. (For last month’s data sources, click here). Trying to find reliable data can take up a large portion of time, but hopefully spreading the word about the sources can help others out. And did I mention these are free data sources?!

1. geoBoundaries

From the geoLab at William & Mary University, this site provides quick and easy access for world administrative boundaries, from single countries to whole world composites. Of course, this is free GIS data with the only requirement to provide a citation when used.

• Available Data: 1,000,000 world administrative boundaries for 200 entities, including UN member states.
• Coverage: The entire world.
• How to Use It: Choose the level of detail needed (single country, world, or simplified world) and search for the product you need. The download is quick and easy, and data comes in several standard file formats (e.g. shapefile and geoJSON). The site also has a comparison to show the differences in detail between geoBoundaries data and other data sources.

• How Easy is it to Use: Using the site is about as easy as it gets. They even provide examples on how to cite the data for various publications and uses, and the download comes with a text file explaining column data. Well done to the folks at the William & Mary geoLab
• Access Link: geoBoundaries

2. Natural Earth

Many GIS professionals already know about Natural Earth data as an amazing free GIS data source, but it’s always worth mentioning.

• Available Data: High-quality vector and raster data for the entire world, including man made infrastructure, administrative boundaries, land area, time zones, bathymetry, detailed topographic relief map data, and much more. Natural Earth data also comes in three different resolution options for maps at different scales.
• Coverage: Data coverage is on a global scale.
• How to Use It: Explore downloadable products based on resolution. Vector data is categorized as “Cultural” (for man made features and infrastructure), “Physical” (for naturally occurring geographic shapes and phenomenon) or “Raster” (for shaded reliefs).
• How Easy is it to Use: Downloads are only a few clicks away from the landing page. Since everything is based on global coverage, there is no need to search for specific region or country, everything is downloaded for the entire planet. File sizes can be large for some raster data (on the order of hundreds of megabytes).
• Access Link: Natural Earth

That’s it for today, I hope you found this review of two great free data sources helpful. Please leave a comment, and share your own favorite data sources I might review in a future post.

Until next time, keep exploring the world around you!

The post Free GIS Data Sources – August, 2026 appeared first on Northman Mapping & GIS, LLC.

For today’s Saga, I’ll be talking about two essential GIS data sources that anyone can access. Access to premium geospatial data used to require hefty budgets or institutional access. Today, some of the most robust, highly accurate datasets are available entirely for free. Whether you are building terrain models or mapping demographic trends, these two foundational repositories offer invaluable spatial data. And did I mention these are free data sources?!

1. USGS LiDAR Explorer

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is the gold standard for physical geography and elevation data. Through the LiDAR Explorer Map, you can access an extensive library of free LiDAR point cloud and DEM raster data sets.

• Available Data: High-resolution LiDAR point clouds and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) at various resolutions (from 1-meter to 30-meter), and topobathy datasets.
• Coverage: Most of the continental United States, Hawaii, and limited portions of Alaska for LiDAR and DEMs. Topobathy limited to coastal areas and some major river basins.
• How to Use It: Navigate to the interactive map interface and zoom into your area of interest. Choose the type of data you need with the menu on the left (LiDAR, DEM or Other). Also using the menu on the left, choose to show the results within your Area of Interest (“AOI”). Draw a bounding box around your AOI by pressing CTRL+drag (Command+drag on Mac) to draw the box. Alternatively you can use the AOI widget found on the map panel. A list of available data will populate in a menu on the right. Find the files you want and download for use.
• How Easy is it to Use: Navigating the map and defining the area of interest are super easy, and there is no login or fee for downloading the data. The downfall of this data is that it is not always easy to determine which file you are trying to download. File names usually come with a date so you can determine the most recent version, but the rest of the file naming convention is cryptic. If you don’t have a key to understanding the layer of the files, your best bet is to download more than you think you need and eliminate unnecessary files later. Overall this is a great source of data.
• Access Link: USGS LiDAR Explorer

2. US Census Bureau

For human geography, population statistics, and administrative boundaries, the US Census Bureau is unmatched. It provides the essential socioeconomic frameworks needed to contextualize environmental or commercial GIS projects.

• Available Data: Statistical data for states, counties, and census tracts. Demographic tables (population, income, housing, business, and education data).
• Coverage: All of the United States, Puerto Rico and Island Areas.
• How to Use It: Start by entering a search term, or choosing to find data near a specific address, or dive right into the data filters. US Census bureau data is vast, and has been tabulated in many different ways. Several tabs can show the selected data in tables, charts or maps. There are several tools to manipulate and display data, as well as print and share directly on the site. Once you find the correct data, you can download the table for use in your own map. The site also provides a handy citation tool for giving the proper credit for your data source.
• How Easy is it to Use: The search feature is great at getting close to what you are looking for, if you know what you are looking for. It’s easy to get lost in all the different filters. As I mentioned before, the US Census data is vast, so sometimes it helps to find something close to what you want, download it, and conduct your own analysis specific to your needs rather than getting lost on this site. This data is invaluable for population and demographic research and analysis, a free for anyone to view and use.
• Access Link: US Census Bureau

That’s it for today, I hope you found this review of two great free data sources helpful. Please leave a comment, and share your own favorite data sources I might review in a future post.

Until next time, keep exploring the world around you!

The post Free GIS Data Sources – July 2026 appeared first on Northman Mapping & GIS, LLC.

Welcome to the Northman Sagas presented by Northman Mapping & GIS! This space is dedicated to exploring the vast world of geographic data, mapping, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Whether you are a seasoned cartographer or just discovering the power of spatial data, I hope you will find something of value here.

My journey into mapping began with a simple fascination for how spatial data can tell stories, solve complex problems, and visually reveal the hidden patterns of our world. Over the years, that curiosity transformed into a professional passion for GIS software. I created this platform to share that passion with you and to build a resource for others to benefit from.

Moving forward, this blog will serve as a practical, go-to resource for GIS users and map makers of all levels. Here is a look at what you can expect in the coming weeks:

• Tool Reviews: Honest evaluations of various GIS software, web mapping platforms, and plugins.
• QGIS Tutorials: Step-by-step guides tailored for both beginners mastering the basics and intermediate users tackling advanced workflows.
• Data Curation: Curated links and reviews of high-quality, useful public datasets you can use in your own projects.
• Community Highlights: Showcases of inspiring blogs, innovative portfolios, and essential industry resources.

Mapping and GIS is an ever-evolving field. While the focus of most posts around the internet is geared either toward beginner level instruction or advanced, cloud-based database management, my goal is to break down more intermediate level tasks and tools into clear, actionable instructions for the everyday GIS map maker.

Thank you for stopping by for the launch of the Northman Sagas. I am incredibly excited to embark on this spatial journey with you. I hope you find something useful here, and if you have something you want to discuss please reach out!

The post Welcome to the Northman Sagas! appeared first on Northman Mapping & GIS, LLC.