Wisconsin Elevation Tools is a browser-based mapping tool that turns USGS 3DEP lidar elevation data for Wisconsin into contour lines, elevation profiles, slope and viewshed analysis, terrain statistics, property terrain reports and 3D-printable models — with no account, no software install and no GIS experience required.
Pan to a place, draw an area or a line on the map — or click a property to use its county parcel boundary — then pick a tool. Results appear on the map and download in the format you need, or as a georeferenced aerial photo of the site for your GIS or CAD.
Queries Wisconsin’s public statewide parcel service for the parcel under the cursor and uses its boundary for supported analyses. Local gaps and missing identifiers can occur. Downloads generally cover the surrounding rectangle; only the Contour Lines panel’s vector export clips to the selected boundary.
How it works →Generates a multi-page PDF terrain report for a parcel, or for an area drawn or uploaded on the map — hillshade, contours, slope and aspect breakdowns and elevation statistics — closing with a checklist of the official records the report does not cover (local assessment and planning records, FEMA flood maps, state geology, well, septic and wetlands records, and title records), each with the agency that holds it.
How it works →Keeps up to five places in this browser and compares elevation, slope, winter sunlight and drainage. Export the shortlist as a JSON file.
How it works →Combines slope, facing direction, modeled winter sunlight, wetness and room for a building pad into one filter, with presets for house sites, solar, orchards and more; any matching patch can become the area for the next tool. Terrain criteria, not a zoning or buildability assessment — check with the county.
How it works →Generates topographic contours at any interval from 1 ft upward, rendered on the map and exportable as vectors.
How it works →Computes slope steepness and the compass direction each face points, including a full aspect distribution (share of land facing N/NE/E/… plus the flat share) — the terrain measure behind building permits, excavation, solar and pasture questions.
How it works →Models hours of direct sun across a site on any day of the year — the shortest day, an equinox or the longest day — with shadows cast by terrain up to 1.86 mi away and, where the Brown County surface model has usable data, by trees and buildings. The default winter date is December 21. Shows when the sun first reaches the area and when it last leaves (Central time), and lets you step through the day half an hour at a time to watch the shadows move.
How it works →Summarizes minimum, maximum, mean and range of elevation across an area, plus its hypsometric (elevation frequency) distribution.
How it works →Estimates vertical cut and fill volumes to a level pad at a chosen elevation, or finds the elevation that balances the volumes. Excludes side slopes, soil swell and compaction.
How it works →Classifies terrain into ten landforms, including ridges, valleys, hollows and flats, using an adjustable neighborhood radius.
How it works →Estimates heights of buildings and vegetation above bare ground in Brown County by comparing its surface model with the 3DEP bare-earth model. Not ground elevation. Buildings and vegetation are combined; cells without usable surface data are left blank; mostly steep bare ground is flagged as unreliable.
How it works →Returns the ground elevation in feet at a single coordinate.
How it works →Two analyses on depression-filled terrain: drainage channels extracted as a Strahler-ordered stream network (exportable as GeoJSON/KML), and ponding — where water would stand once hollows fill, with depth, area and volume.
How it works →Maps topographic wetness potential from slope and contributing area. Shows relative terrain-driven moisture concentration, not measured soil moisture or flood depth.
How it works →Maps the upstream terrain draining to the clicked cell, with an adjustable search radius and a warning when the catchment reaches the loaded terrain edge or missing data.
How it works →Calculates which ground is in line of sight from an observer, within a radius of your choice: 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 miles. It allows for earth curvature and refraction, with a choice of eye height, target height, and whether trees and buildings from the regional Brown County surface model block the view — used for protecting a view, siting a house, and antenna or camera placement.
How it works →Checks whether one point is visible from another — a house site to a hilltop, a deck to the lake — and if not, where the view is first blocked and by how much, with the terrain profile and sightline drawn together.
How it works →Produces a cross-section along any line, with distance, total ascent and descent, and grade — for trails, roads, driveways, pipe runs and fence lines.
How it works →Measures the flat map length of a line tapped out corner by corner. For the climb and grade along a line, use Elevation Profile.
How it works →Explores a terrain route favoring gentler grades, enforcing a maximum grade and showing its elevation profile. Exports the route as GeoJSON and the profile as CSV. Does not assess legal access or construction feasibility.
How it works →Exports the selected area as contour vectors, a DEM raster, a georeferenced aerial photo or a 3D surface mesh.
How it works →Adds ground elevation from the USGS 3DEP model to the coordinates in a file you already have, replacing missing or noisy GPS altitude.
How it works →Every tool has a page explaining what it does, how the calculation works and where it can mislead: all tool explanations.
The bare-earth source for terrain tiles, contours, profiles, statistics, downloads and elevation added to files. Source resolution varies: 3.3 ft per pixel in the finest work units, with older lidar and coarser seamless data elsewhere. Elevations are above NAVD 88. Public domain. Selecting a fine output grid cannot create detail missing from the source.
www.usgs.gov/3d-elevation-programA directory of Wisconsin elevation and lidar resources. This site uses the USGS 3DEP index for work-unit coverage and available project metadata; it does not infer an acquisition date or accuracy for all Wisconsin from one project.
www.sco.wisc.edu/data/elevationlidarOptional surface data for Brown County only, including roofs and tree canopy as recorded by that source. Sunlight, Viewshed and Sightline use bare-earth fallback outside usable surface coverage; Object Heights has no supported result without surface data. The surface and 3DEP ground model can have different source dates and processing. Credit: Brown County, Wisconsin.
gis.browncountywi.gov/arcgis/rest/services/DSM2020/LiDAR2020_DSM/ImageServer?f=pjsonParcel boundaries aggregated from local governments by the Wisconsin State Cartographer’s Office and Wisconsin Land Information Program. The Property tool queries the public statewide service. Local gaps, outdated boundaries and missing identifiers can occur; no parcel found is not proof that land is unowned. Parcel maps are not legal surveys.
www.sco.wisc.edu/data/parcelsWisconsin place names for search, including towns, peaks, lakes, streams and other named features.
www.usgs.gov/tools/geographic-names-information-system-gnisUSGS Topo, shaded relief rendered from 3DEP, and Esri World Imagery (Imagery: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community) provide map context. The aerial basemap is display-only. Downloadable aerial photos come from public-domain USGS NAIP imagery.
www.usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/national-mapAccuracy depends on the source project, its date and how well ground was measured; this site does not assign one accuracy figure to all Wisconsin. Source cells range from 3.3 ft per pixel in the finest work units to about 9.8 ft per pixel or 33 ft per pixel in coarser sources. Every download reports the share outside the finest lidar work units, or says coverage is unknown if the index cannot be reached. Bare-earth elevations exclude buildings and tree canopy and do not replace a surveyed elevation for legal or engineering decisions.
USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. Wisconsin parcel boundaries are aggregated local-government data, not legal surveys; the parcel disclaimer accompanies the selection. Brown County surface data is credited separately when used. The Esri aerial basemap follows Esri’s terms and is display-only; downloadable aerial photos use USGS NAIP.
| Format | Type | Typically used for |
|---|---|---|
| GeoJSON .geojson | Contour vectors | QGIS, web maps, Leaflet, MapLibre and scripting (WGS84) |
| Shapefile .shp.zip | Contour vectors | ArcGIS and traditional GIS workflows |
| DXF .dxf | Contour vectors | AutoCAD, Civil 3D and CAD drafting (Wisconsin State Plane US survey feet, local origin) |
| KML .kml | Contour vectors | Google Earth and Google Maps (WGS84) |
| SVG .svg | Contour vectors | Illustration, laser cutting and print design |
| PDF .pdf | Contour vectors | Print-ready topographic map sheets |
| STL .stl | 3D surface | 3D printing a physical terrain model |
| OBJ .obj | 3D surface | Blender, Cinema 4D and 3D rendering |
| GeoTIFF .tif | Raster | The digital elevation model itself, for GIS and analysis (values in the file are in meters, as USGS publishes them) |
| Aerial photo .zip (JPEG + world file) | Raster | A georeferenced color aerial photo of the site (USGS NAIP, public domain, about 1 ft per pixel where available) with a world file and projection file in Web Mercator, for QGIS, ArcGIS, AutoCAD Civil 3D and other GIS or CAD; for a property it covers the parcel plus 100 ft on every side |
Files you upload for elevation enrichment can be GPX, KML, GeoJSON, JSON, CSV.
Output resolution scales with the size of the area you select. Exports are capped at 1,024 pixels on the longest side, with a floor of 3.3 ft per pixel — so a 900 ft building site is delivered at the full lidar detail, while a block 7.5 miles on a side is resampled to roughly 39 ft per pixel. Select a smaller area when you need fine detail.
Check slope, aspect, drainage and views on a parcel before committing, using the parcel boundary from the statewide parcel map rather than a guess.
Understand the slope and aspect of fields, pasture and timber ground, work out where water runs, and plan roads, trails and fence lines.
Pull site contours straight into CAD in Wisconsin State Plane US survey feet, assess a sloping lot, and understand driveway grades before a survey is commissioned.
Get contours, DEM rasters and terrain statistics from USGS 3DEP lidar for a defined area without downloading and processing raw tiles.
Generate accurate elevation profiles for a route and correct the elevation recorded by a GPS watch.
Export any part of Wisconsin as an STL or OBJ mesh and 3D print it.
General-purpose web maps help locate a site; this site provides terrain analysis and GIS/CAD exports built from public 3DEP elevation data. Wisconsin Elevation Tools covers Wisconsin only, but reads the USGS 3DEP lidar elevation model and exports to GIS, CAD and 3D formats.
The National Map is the authoritative source, but it hands you raw tiles that need GIS software and processing skill. This tool reads the same public-domain data and returns finished contours, profiles, statistics and meshes in the browser — at the cost of a size cap per request.
Desktop GIS gives more control over sources, processing and coordinate systems, and requires installation and data preparation. This tool answers the common Wisconsin terrain questions in a few clicks and exports into those same packages when deeper work is needed.
Those tools are global, so they correct elevation against whatever global or regional model they hold for a place. Within Wisconsin this tool corrects against the USGS 3DEP model, 3.3 ft per pixel wherever lidar has been flown, with source detail and accuracy depending on the local project.
Those show the published USGS topographic map series, where each map sheet uses one fixed contour interval chosen for the relief on that sheet. This tool generates contours at any interval you choose from the underlying elevation model, and lets you export them.
The tools are. Every map, measurement and analysis on the site is free to use, with no account or sign-up — you can run contours, slope, drainage, viewsheds and the property report and see every result on screen. Downloading the results needs a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, one-off payments in US dollars, not subscriptions. Limits apply to the size of the area you can process in a single request.
From the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). The primary source is its seamless bare-earth elevation model: 3.3 ft per pixel in the finest lidar work units, with about 9.8 ft per pixel and 33 ft per pixel sources elsewhere. The map tools read it as terrain tiles through this site’s own routes; downloads read it directly and state what share of the area fell outside the lidar work units. The optional surface model is regional: Brown County only, with bare-earth fallback elsewhere.
Accuracy depends on the source project, its date and how well ground was measured; this site does not assign one accuracy figure to all Wisconsin. Source cells range from 3.3 ft per pixel in the finest work units to about 9.8 ft per pixel or 33 ft per pixel in coarser sources. Every download reports the share outside the finest lidar work units, or says coverage is unknown if the index cannot be reached. Bare-earth elevations exclude buildings and tree canopy and do not replace a surveyed elevation for legal or engineering decisions.
The tool works anywhere in Wisconsin. Lidar coverage and source dates vary across Wisconsin. Check your site against the USGS 3DEP work-unit index; an unavailable lookup means coverage is unknown. Where no lidar work unit exists the seamless DEM falls back to about 33 ft per pixel and results are coarser.
Contours export as GeoJSON, Shapefile, DXF, KML, SVG and PDF. Terrain surfaces export as STL and OBJ for 3D printing and modeling, and as GeoTIFF for the digital elevation model itself. A georeferenced aerial photo of the site downloads as a JPEG with a world file and projection file (Web Mercator, EPSG:3857) in a .zip. DXF files use the Wisconsin North, Central or South State Plane zone chosen from the selection center’s county, in US survey feet with a local origin; GeoJSON and KML are in WGS84. Files you upload for elevation enrichment can be GPX, KML, GeoJSON, JSON, CSV.
Yes, with a pass, like the other downloads. Download Data’s Aerial format delivers a georeferenced color aerial photo of your area from USGS NAIP orthoimagery, which is in the public domain: about 1 ft per pixel where available, as a JPEG with a world file and projection file in Web Mercator (EPSG:3857) that drops straight into QGIS, ArcGIS, AutoCAD Civil 3D and other GIS or CAD software. For a property it covers the parcel plus 100 ft on every side. The aerial basemap you see on the map is Esri World Imagery, which is for display only and is not what you download.
Any interval from 1 ft upward. That is far finer than the contours on published topographic maps, which is why the tool is useful for site-scale work such as building pads, driveways and drainage.
No. Everything runs in a normal web browser — draw an area or a line on the map, pick a tool, and download the result. Exports are provided in formats that GIS and CAD packages read if you want to take the work further.
USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. Wisconsin parcel boundaries are aggregated local-government data, not legal surveys; the parcel disclaimer accompanies the selection. Brown County surface data is credited separately when used. The Esri aerial basemap follows Esri’s terms and is display-only; downloadable aerial photos use USGS NAIP.
Contours and downloads allow up to 7.5 miles per side, terrain statistics and elevation enrichment up to 3.7 miles per side, and elevation profiles up to 15.5 miles long. Output resolution scales with the size of the area you select. Exports are capped at 1,024 pixels on the longest side, with a floor of 3.3 ft per pixel — so a 900 ft building site is delivered at the full lidar detail, while a block 7.5 miles on a side is resampled to roughly 39 ft per pixel. Select a smaller area when you need fine detail.
Yes. The Property tool queries Wisconsin’s statewide parcel service under your click. It uses the returned boundary for supported map analyses; most downloaded files cover the surrounding rectangle, while the Contour Lines panel’s GeoJSON/KML export clips to the boundary. Local gaps can occur. Parcel lines are not surveys. You can also search by address or place name.
Consumer GPS elevation is derived from satellite geometry or a barometric sensor and is typically the least accurate part of a recorded track, especially in valleys and under forest canopy. Uploading the file and re-sampling it against the 3DEP elevation model replaces those values with ground elevation from lidar.
Wisconsin Elevation Tools is built by MapScaping (https://mapscaping.com), which produces geospatial tools, writing and a long-running podcast about the geospatial industry.
Built by MapScaping.