All scales and most editions of USGS topographic maps are available online via Topoview (National Geologic Map Database), the USGS Map Locator & Downloader, and the USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer (in partnership with Esri).
Note: as of October, 2012, the current version of all USGS topo maps are available only as geoPDFs.
Graphical Indexes
- USGS Map Locator
- Go here for downloads of geoPDF versions of ALL editions of ALL scales of USGS topo maps.
- See below for lists of paper California USGS topo maps available in the Library.
- Graphical Locator of California
- From the Environmental Statistics Group at Montana State University, this map of California will tell you the 7.5' (1:24,000) quadrangle name and other information for any location you click on.
USGS Topographic Quadrangle Maps of California
The lists below describe paper maps that are in the collection. See the links above for access to digital versions.
- 7.5' (1:24,000) Quadrangles (these are pdf files)
- 15' (1:62,500 or 1:63,360) (pdf)
- 30' (1:125,000) (pdf)
- 6' (1:24,000) Los Angeles County series (pdf)
- Central Valley Series (1:31,680). Call number: 3852.C4s 31 .U5
- Santa Ana River Area Series (1:31,680). Call number: 3852.S84s 32 .U5
Online sites to freely view CA Topos
- Bay Area historical topographic maps
- 15' and 30' historic quadrangles from the San Francisco Bay area.
- Broer Map Library - California USGS Maps
- Scanned maps from a private collection. No index.
- CSU Chico Digital Collections -Historic Topographic Map Collection
- Historic Topographic Maps of California - San Francisco Bay Area
Other Formats for USGS Topographic Maps
- UCSB Library has a full set of National Geographic Topo! CD-ROMs. (We also have other Western states. Search the catalog with the words "seamless USGS topographic" to see them all.)
- ArcGIS users can connect to a web mapping server at ESRI to use seamless 1:24,000, 1:100,000, and 1:250,000 topographic maps for the entire country.
