Research Guides: Digital Map Resources: Home

Mapped Data

DemographicsNow: (Gale Business) This link opens in a new window
Interested in mapped data? DemobraphicsNow allows you to create single-variable maps from a wide variety of demographic and retail datasets.

Sanborn Maps

The Joint Archives of Holland has digital copies of the Sanborn Maps for West Michigan (these will be in black and white). Please contact Archives and Special Collections for access to the map you need. (archives@hope.edu). They have the maps for 1902, 1908, 1916, and 1925.

Color digital Sanborn maps for Ottawa and Alleghan Counties are also available from the Library of Congress from 1883-1899.

Map Resources

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
This archive contains over 92,000 maps from the 16th to the 21st century, including many of Michigan. You can view these overlaid on Google Maps. These will export at a very high quality level.

The Power of Maps by Denis Wood
Call Number: GA105.3 .W66 1992
ISBN: 0898624924
Publication Date: 1992
The Natures of Maps by Denis Wood
Call Number: GA151 .W56 2008
ISBN: 9780226906041
Publication Date: 2009
The Best American Infographics 2016 by Gareth Cook; Gareth Cook
Call Number: T385 .B477 2016
ISBN: 9780544556386
Publication Date: 2016

Project Examples

Out of Eden Walk
Journalist Paul Salopek’s "21,000-mile odyssey" in which he follows the migration path of our ancestors.
Wonder Walks
Article about Matthew Jensen's New York City Wonder Walks project.

Digital Map Resources

USGS National Map Viewer
Interactive mapping tool from the US Geological Survey providing topographical and other geology-oriented mapping tools.
USGS Map Locator
Search for historic maps for any US area, most freely downloadable as pdfs.
USGS EarthExplorer