Top 10 Open Source

Geospatial Data

Spatial eLearning
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Introduction
This eBook will provide you a guide for accessing, exploring and downloading geospatial data. It
is composed of 10 unique sites aiming to guide the user through multiple online geospatial
resources. Some geospatial science projects are constrained by the limited availability of GIS
data. Accessing data using open source platforms will help to continue the development of a GIS
career or research project. This eBook offers a solution to this by offering various online sources
with reliable scientific data and user-friendly platforms.
If you are interested to peruse a spatial data science career path, check out our online courses.

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GIS and Remote Sensing Learning Path

Introduction to GIS: Spatial Data Analysis with QGIS

Learn GIS, spatial analysis, web mapping and complete hands on GIS projects with QGIS, and
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Remote Sensing for Water Resources

Learn satellite remote sensing, image processing and GIS for water resources

Land Use Land Cover Classification with earth Engine API

Learn digital image processing and land use land cover classification for Remote Sensing

The Google Earth Engine Mega Course: GIS and Remote Sensing
Learn to Process and Analyze Cloud-based Earth Observations and Big Data for GIS and
Remote Sensing.

Big Geospatial Data Analysis with Google Earth Engine

Learn visualizing, processing and analyzing big earth observation data on the cloud with Google
Earth Engine.

Google Earth Engine for Earth Observations

Learn JavaScript with Google Earth Engine API cloud platform for analyzing earth observation
and geospatial data.

Satellite Remote Sensing Fundamentals

Learn satellite observations, GPS, remote sensing, GIS, spatial analysis, geospatial data access
and visualization.

Getting Started with GIS

Learn new geospatial skills using open source GIS Tools.
Data Science Learning Path

Introduction to Big Data Analysis in Python

Learn Python for Geospatial data analysis and visualization

Spatial Data Analysis in R Bootcamp

Learn spatial analysis and visualization using R open source tools

Machine Learning and Earth Observation Data

Learn to apply machine learning algorithms to classify satellite data on the cloud

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1. USGS Earth Explorer
https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/

Finding Imagery Using USGS Earth Explorer

For the most part, this site contains Earth observation data. This is by far the largest archive of Earth
observation satellite and aerial imagery. The Earth Explorer has a user-friendly interface which makes
accessing remote sensing data handy. You can download data either a single or bulk download. The bulk
download options give you an option if you need to access multiple datasets. First, you will have to
register for a free account.
Accessing USGS Earth Explorer
a. Access Web Interface here: https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-line.html

b. Click on the “REGISTER” tab and create an account.

c. Click on the “+” and “-” tools to zoom into the state of NORTH CAROLINA, in the
UNITED STATES.

d. With your cursor, click on an area to the North West, North East, South West and South
East of CHARLOTTE. A RED polygon will be drawn around the city of CHARLOTTE.
e. To the right of SEARCH CRITERIA, click on “DATA SETS”
f. Click on “DIGITAL ELEVATION”
g. Click on “ASTER GLOBAL DEM”

h. On the DATA SET MESSAGE box, click “OK”

i. On the bottom right, click on “RESULTS”

j. To the left, you will see all DEM results for the Polygon Area of CHARLOTTE.
k. You can click on the “FOOTPRINT” icon to see what area this DEM represents.
l. Click on the DOWNLOAD icon to download the ASTER DEM for that area

m. On the DOWNLOAD box, click “OK” to download the file in its standard format.
n. On the next box, click on “I AGREE TO THE ABOVE END USER LICENSE
AGREEMENT”

o. You Data or data sets will begin to download.

p. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content.
If you do not already have a program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-
zip for free at http://www.7-zip.org/
2. TIGER/Line Graphic Data
https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-line.html
Finding Imagery Using TIGER/Line Graphic Data
TIGER/Line is a geospatial resource for vector data such as points, lines and polygons, utilized in
geographic information systems. The TIGER/Line shapefiles are managed by the U.S. Census
Bureau and include a GIS industry standard well-known text (WKT) format providing the
coordinate system, projection and datum attributed to each feature.

You will need an internet browser, a utility to unzip files, and data processing software.
You do not need a user login or registration to access and/or download files.

Accessing TIGER/Line
a. Access Web Interface here: https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-
line.html

Searching for Data

b. Select the YEAR you are interested in by clicking on “2017” on the year tab.
c. Click “DOWNLOAD” and then click on “WEB INTERFACE”
 d. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT YEAR”, make sure the year 2017 is
selected.
e. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT A LAYER TYPE”, select the region or
geography you are interested in.
For this tutorial, select “BLOCK GROUPS”. Click on the “SUBMIT” button.

Downloading
a. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT A STATE”, choose a state you are interested
in. For this tutorial, select “NORTH CAROLINA”. Click on the “DOWNLOAD”
button.
The file will begin downloading.
b. Save or open the zip file.
c. Once the shapefiles are downloaded, they will be named tl_2017_<geographical
area>_<filename>.zip. For state and county-based files, the geographical area is the
state or county Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code.
d. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content.
If you do not already have a program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-zip
for free at http://www.7-zip.org/
e. Make sure you have the TIGER/Line Shapefiles unzipped in a location on your
desktop.
3. American Fact Finder
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
American Fact Finder is an online geodatabase managed by the U.S. Census Bureau and is
composed of data from the Decennial Census, the Economic Census and current surveys, such as
the American Community Survey. It is a credible and complete source for geospatial data.

You will need an internet browser, a utility to unzip files, and data processing software.
You do not need a user login or registration to access and/or download files.

Accessing American Fact Finder

a. Access the web interface here:
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml

Searching for Data

a. At the top of the page, click on “ADVANCED SEARCH”
 b. Click on the tab “TOPICS” and then click on “DATASETS” at the bottom of the list. A
whole list of blue links will become available.

You can click on a blue link and it will be automatically added to “YOUR SELECTIONS” box at
the top left corner of the page.
 c. You can also search for subtopics within topics and narrow down your search to a
detailed dataset.
d. Once you have explored and added all the topics and datasets you are interested in,
close out of the “SELECT TOPICS” window using the “CLOSE X” button.

The next step is to select a geography to complement the dataset.

e. Click on “GEOGRAPHIES”. You will see four (4) search tabs:
a. LIST: this may be the easiest method as it offers a dropdown menu.
b. NAME: this method offers a search box to type in the name of an entity or
jurisdiction
c. ADDRESS: this allows to enter a specific address and geography
d. MAP: Chose your geography by viewing it on a map, by drawing a polygon or
dropping a location point.
For this tutorial, we are using the “LIST” tab.
f. Click on the “MOST RESEARCHED GEOGRAPHIC TYPES”, and select “STATE”
on the dropdown menu for “SELECT A GEOGRAPHIC TYPE”
g. Select “NORTH CAROLINA” for the state.
 h. Click on “ADD TO YOUR SELECTIONS”
i. Close out of the “SELECT GEOGRAPHIES” window by using the “CLOSE X” button.
j. Now that you have both a DATASET and GEOGRAPHY, your “SEARCH RESULTS”
will update.
Downloading
a. Find the table you are interested in. You can scroll through the pages in the top right corner
or change the number of results per page.

b. Click on the checkbox next to the table you want, and select the “DOWNLOAD” tab.
You can select multiple tables.
c. A Download Box will be prompted on the screen. Click “OK” and select “DOWNLOAD”
once the file is complete. If the box is not prompted, you may be directed to a “TABLE
VIEWER” page.

d. Under “TABLE VIEW”, click on the “DOWNLOAD” button.

A new box will be prompted.
e. Select to “USE” the data in spreadsheet or database (first option).

f. Click “OK” and then click “DOWNLOAD”.

4. National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)
https://www.nhgis.org/
You will need an internet browser, a utility to unzip files, and data processing software.
This website requires registration and user login credentials.
Accessing NHGIS Geodatabase
a. Access the Web Interface here: https://www.nhgis.org/

b. Register an account. We recommend doing this step before you begin Searching for Data.
c. Click on the “LOGIN” tab on the upper right and then click on “CREATE ACCOUNT”
under the “HELP” header. This account is free.
d. Complete the New NHGIS Registration form as instructed on the page. Click “SUBMIT”
when finished.
Searching for Data
This page allows a user to extract both Basic and Complex Data queries.
For this tutorial, we will focus on a Basic Extraction Request.
a. Note the Question Mark Symbols- this icon will offer guidance and descriptions along the
way.

b. Click on the “SELECT DATA” tab, under “DATA”.

c. On the next page, there are four (4) filters available: GEOGRAPHIC LEVELS, YEARS,
TOPICS, and DATASETS. You can choose one, or a combination of those filters.

d. Select the “YEARS” tab to specify the period for your data files. Click on a year, and then
click “SUBMIT”. You will see corresponding DATA TABLES.
e. For this tutorial, click on the year “2013”.
From the tables generated, notice the year you selected is registered under the tab name
“YEAR-DATASET”

f. At the top, below the APPLY FILTERS tab, notice the GREEN checkmark to the right of
YEARS. You can select and unselect it to adjust what tables are displayed.
When only one filter is in use, you will eliminate the table as whole. This utility is best when
handling various datasets.
g. Under SELECT DATA, there are three tabs: SOURCE, TABLES, TIME SERIES, and GIS
FILES.
h. From the SOURCE TABLE tab, you can explore all of the results generated and navigate to
the table you want.
i. Clicking the plus sign next to a table name, such as B01003. Total Population adds that table
to the data cart.
j. Clicking the check mark removes that table from the data cart.

As you select data or unselect, your “DATA CART” window will update.

k. Click on a Table name, such as the “B01003 Total Population”

l. In the new “DATA TABLE DETAILS” you can browse through to get metadata.
m. To understand the data displayed on the tables, please note the following definitions.
1. TABLE NAME: Census Bureau’s table name. For historical census tables, the name
is a combination of Census Bureau name, and names created by technicians who
converted the data into digital table format.
2. UNIVERSE: Refers to the items/people/sections being counted. In a demographic
table, the universe is important in accounting for a specific subgroup of the
population or the population as a whole.
3. CLASSIFICATIONS: Offers details on the process of categorizing data. The
numbers in parentheses refer to the number of categories the data are broken down
into. This can range from one value for the table, such as a Total field to well over
1000 values.
4. YEAR DATASETS: Lists the dataset in which the table is located. Tables from
older censuses, like 1790, are contained in one or two datasets each. The year 2000,
however, yields 29 datasets.
5. BREAKDOWS: deals with how the universe data is subdivided.
n. The “TIME SERIES” tab on this table has zero (0) data. The “GIS FILES” tab has eighty-
six (86).
Click on the “GIS FILES” tab. A table with various data for the year 2013 will generate.
o. Click on the data that you are interested in and notice your “DATA CART” updating.
p. Once you are finalized filtering and selecting data, click on the “SHOW SELECTIONS”
Tab on your “DATA CART”. You can also click on the “CONTINUE” tab to move onto the
next step.
If you want to start over, you can click on “CLEAR X” on the top right corner.
q. You have now chosen your data and GIS Files, the next step is to define the Geographic
Level you are interested in. Under “DATA OPTIONS”, notice the red text “One or more
tables lack a geographic level selection (see below).
r. Click on the “SELECT GEOGRAPHIC LEVELS” tab.

A Box will be prompted called GEOGRAPHIC LEVELS FOR ALL DATASETS.

s. Select a geographic level. For this tutorial, select “STATE” by clicking on the plus sign.
t. Click “SUBMIT” to confirm your selection, and then “CONTINUE” on the “DATA
CART” box.
u. The final step is to choose the format you want the data tables to be in.
Note that GIS files will come in Shapefiles only.
The DATA TABLES can be selected to be in a Comma Delimited format and can include an
additional descriptive header row if you wish.
DATA TABLES can also be downloaded in the Fixed Width format.

v. After reviewing your data selection, it is recommended to write a brief description on the
“DESCRIPTION” box for your own record keeping.
Downloading
a. Click on “SUBMIT” and you will be taken to the “EXTRACTS” history page.
b. The “DATA TABLES” and GIS Files downloaded will be zipped.
c. After you have clicked “DOWNLOAD” your extracts, you’ll be prompted to open
or save your zipped files.
d. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content. If you do not already
have a program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-zip for free at
http://www.7-zip.org/
5. NASA’s Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)
http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/
This portal provides data on related to humans and their interaction with the environment. SEDAC
hosts a large volume of global scale geospatial data ranging from agriculture to public health
applications.

Accessing SEDAC Geodatabase

a. Access the Web Interface here: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/

b. Register an account. We recommend doing this step before you begin Searching for
Data.
Click on the icon on the far right and register for an account.

Searching for Data

a. Click on “DATA” and on the dropdown menu click on “DATASETS

Note that there are 222 different datasets.

b. On the left side of the page, under “THEME”, click on “AGRICULTURE”
c. Click on the “PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS” dataset
 Downloading
1. Click on the “DATA DOWNLOAD” tab

Click on the “GeoTIFF” tab next to “NORTH AMERICA”

6. NASA Earth Observations (NEO)
https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov
NASA Earth Observations (NEO) provides image galleries of global scale satellite observations.
These provide overviews of seasonal variability of the Earth’s surface from daily, monthly to
annual changes. Image galleries come in JPEG, PNG, Geo Tiff formats.
You will need an internet browser, a utility to unzip files, and data processing software.

You do not need a user login or registration to access and/or download files.

Accessing NEO
a. Access the Web interface here: https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov

Searching for Data

a. Note the “BROWSE DATA BY CATEGORY”. Scroll down until you see the “OCEAN”
category.
b. Click on the “SEE ALL” button for the OCEAN category.
c. Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on “CHLOROFYLL CONCENTRATIONS”
d. On the right side of the page, note the “ADD TO ANALYSIS TABLE” button.
This table keeps track of all datasets selected.
e. On the dropdown menu of “FILE TYPE”, click on “GeoTIFF (RASTER)”.
If you want this data to be used in Microsoft Excel, we recommend the file type “CSV Comma
Delimited”. For ArcGIS we recommend GeoTIFF Raster or Floating Point.
f. You can learn more about the dataset on the “ABOUT THIS DATASET” section at the
bottom of the page.

g. Click on “ADD TO ANALYSIS”.

If you want to download additional data layers, continue Searching for Data repeat steps 1-5.
h. You can select the “ANALYZE” button at the top right of the page to analyze Chlorophyll
levels in the ocean by selecting a region you are interested in.
Downloading
a. When you are done selecting data, click on “DOWNLOAD RAW DATA” on the “ADD TO
ANALYSIS” box.
b. You have successfully downloaded spatial data from NASA’s NEO.
7. Copernicus Open Access Hub
http://copernicus.eu/main/land-monitoring
The Copernicus Open Access Hub provides free access to Sentinel -1 , Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 data.
Users can access data wither via application programing interface (API) or graphical user interface
(GUI). This portal provides now the highest (10 and 20 meters) spatial resolution for global land
imaging. You can use Sentinel-2 for global scale land observation while Sentinel-2 for radar
imaging.

Accessing Copernicus Open Access Hub

a. Access the web interface here: http://copernicus.eu/main/land-monitoring
Searching for Data
a. Click on “GLOBAL COMPONENT”

b. For this tutorial, click on “VEGETATION”

c. Click on “LAND COVER”
d. Scroll down on the page and under “ACCESS” click on “PRODUCT PORTAL”

e. On the far-right side, click on “COLLECTION”

f. Under “COLLECTION” click on “LAND COVER 100M AFRICA V1 NETCDF”

g. Draw a polygon on an area of interest over the continent of Africa

h. Click on the “SEARCH” button on the bottom of the page

Downloading
a. From the table generated, click on the dataset you are interested in.

b. Your file will begin downloading.

8. US Census
https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/
Accessing US Census
a. Access the web interface here: https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/
Searching for Data
a. Click on “GEOGRAPHY” and then click on “MAPS AND DATA”

b. Under “GEOGRAPHIC DATA” you will see at list of available data types.
c. Click on “TIGER PRODUCTS”
d. Click on the “TIGER/LINE_SHAPEFILES” in the table, under PRODUCT.

e. Select the year you are interested by clicking on “2017” on the year tab.
f. Click “DOWNLOAD” and then click on “WEB INTERFACE”
g. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT YEAR”, make sure the year 2017 is selected.
h. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT A LAYER TYPE”, select the region or
geography you are interested in.

Downloading
a. On the dropdown menu for “SELECT A STATE”, choose a state you are interested
in. For this tutorial, select “NORTH CAROLINA”. Click on the “DOWNLOAD”
button.
If the file you are downloading is a county-based file, you will be prompted to select a
county in the following screen.
 k. The file will begin downloading into your home computer. Save or open the zip
file.
l. Once the shapefiles are downloaded, they will be named tl_2017_<geographical
area>_<filename>.zip. For state and county-based files, the geographical area is
the state or county Federal Information Processing Series (FIPS) code.
m. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content.
If you do not already have a program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-zip
for free at http://www.7-zip.org/
n. Make sure you have the TIGER/Line Shapefiles unzipped in a location on your desktop.
9. National Map
https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/
Accessing National Map
a. Access the Web Interface here: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/

Searching for Data

a. If you know the coordinates of your area of interest, click on “COORDINATES” and
complete the box.
b. If you do not know the coordinates, click on “BOX POINT” and draw a box on
“SEATTLE”- WA.

c. On the DATASETS tab, UNDER “DATA” click on "ELEVATION SOURCE DATA

(3DEP)”
d. Under “ALL SUBCATEGORIES” click on “DEM SOURCE (OPR)”.
Downloading
a. Click on “FIND PRODUCTS” under ADVANCED SEARCH OPTIONS.

b. At the top, next to “DATASETS”, click on “PRODUCTS”

c. Click on the “DOWNLOAD” link for the DATASET you are interested in.
d. Your data will begin to download. You have successfully utilized the USGS geodatabase for
downloading spatial data.
e. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content. If you do not already have a
program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-zip for free at http://www.7-
zip.org/
10. Open Street Map
https://www.openstreetmap.org
Open Street Map (OSM) is one of the largest portals for crowdsourced geospatial data. The OSM
data is created by the public and open for public use for free. However, there are limitations which
includes accuracy and quality of the data. Although the overall quality of the OSM data has been
good, its use should be with caution. his data is

Accessing Open Street Map

a. Access the Web interface here: https://www.openstreetmap.org

b. Register an account. We recommend doing this step before you begin searching for data.

c. Follow the instructions on the next page and fill in your information to register for an
account.
d. Click on “SIGN UP”
Searching for Data
a. On the search box, type in “ITALY”.
b. Click on “GO”

c. Click on the second result “COUNTRY OF ITALY”

Downloading
a. Click on the “EXPORT” tab

b. Zoom into the island of “MALTA” using the “+” and “– “tools on the upper right corner.
c. Click on “GEOFABRIC DOWNLOADS” to access detailed data

d. On the OPENSTREERMAP DATA EXTRACTS page, click on the “EUROPE” Sub region.
e. Scroll down on the SUBREGION table, until you see “MALTA”.

f. Click on “.SHP.ZIP”

g. Use a utility to unzip the shapefiles and access their content. If you do not already have a
program that unzips this type of file, you can download 7-zip for free at http://www.7-
zip.org/
Thanks so much for reading this eBook. I hope that you have enjoyed reading and learned how to
access and download open source geospatial data.

If you are interested to peruse a spatial data science career path, check out our online courses.

Membership (Monthly Subscription)

Members gain access to all 11+ premium online geospatial courses, including all future courses
and updates. Claim your first month free trial and then only $9/month.
Start My Free Month

GIS and Remote Sensing Learning Path

Introduction to GIS: Spatial Data Analysis with QGIS

Learn GIS, spatial analysis, web mapping and complete hands on GIS projects with QGIS, and
Google Earth Engine.

Remote Sensing for Water Resources

Learn satellite remote sensing, image processing and GIS for water resources

Land Use Land Cover Classification with earth Engine API

Learn digital image processing and land use land cover classification for Remote Sensing

The Google Earth Engine Mega Course: GIS and Remote Sensing
Learn to Process and Analyze Cloud-based Earth Observations and Big Data for GIS and
Remote Sensing.

Big Geospatial Data Analysis with Google Earth Engine

Learn visualizing, processing and analyzing big earth observation data on the cloud with Google
Earth Engine.

Google Earth Engine for Earth Observations

Learn JavaScript with Google Earth Engine API cloud platform for analyzing earth observation
and geospatial data.

Satellite Remote Sensing Fundamentals

Learn satellite observations, GPS, remote sensing, GIS, spatial analysis, geospatial data access
and visualization.

Getting Started with GIS

Learn new geospatial skills using open source GIS Tools.

Data Science Learning Path

Introduction to Big Data Analysis in Python
Learn Python for Geospatial data analysis and visualization

Spatial Data Analysis in R Bootcamp

Learn spatial analysis and visualization using R open source tools

Machine Learning and Earth Observation Data

Learn to apply machine learning algorithms to classify satellite data on the cloud

Follow Us:

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