Wisconsin Elevation ToolsOpen the map →

USGS 3DEP lidar for surveyors and GIS analysts, cut to your site

Get the Wisconsin lidar DEM for GIS work without downloading and merging raw tiles: draw or select the area, and the tools read the USGS 3DEP elevation model for exactly that extent and return a GeoTIFF, contours, terrain statistics or drainage lines.

Use it for desk studies, quick checks against a survey, and the first look at a site before you send a crew out. Every result states what share of the area fell outside lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel.

The workflow

  1. Step 1 · Download Data

    A DEM and an aerial photo for the site

    The 3DEP elevation model as a GeoTIFF above NAVD 88, covering the rectangle around your area or property. Values in the file are in meters, as USGS publishes them. The same tool delivers a georeferenced color aerial photo from USGS NAIP (public domain), about 1 ft per pixel where available, as a JPEG with a world file in Web Mercator, to sit under the DEM and contours.

    Open Download Data →How it works

  2. Step 2 · Contour Lines

    Contours in your format

    Contours at any interval from 1 ft, as Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML, or DXF in Wisconsin State Plane US survey feet.

    Open Contour Lines →How it works

  3. Step 3 · Terrain Stats

    Terrain statistics

    Minimum, maximum, mean and range of elevation, with the elevation distribution.

    Open Terrain Stats →How it works

  4. Step 4 · Water & Drainage

    Drainage network

    Channels ranked by stream order and ponding areas, exported as GeoJSON or KML.

    Open Water & Drainage →How it works

  5. Step 5 · Elevate a File

    Elevations for your points

    Ground elevation added to a CSV, GPX, KML or GeoJSON of your own points.

    Open Elevate a File →How it works

Free to run · pay to download

See the full result on the map free, with no account. Download the DEM as GeoTIFF, contours as Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML or DXF, a georeferenced aerial photo, drainage lines as GeoJSON or KML, and your enriched files with a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, a one-off payment in US dollars that never renews. Every download on the site is included while the pass lasts.

Start on the map →Pass prices and what’s included

What it doesn’t replace

  • The DEM is the USGS 3DEP seamless model: 3.3 ft per pixel where lidar has been flown, about 33 ft per pixel elsewhere. It is not survey grade, and its accuracy is that of the lidar project behind it.
  • Exports are capped in size, so large areas are resampled. The National Map has the same public-domain data as raw tiles for larger areas.
  • Terrain downloads are bare earth. Optional tree and building analysis uses Brown County’s regional surface model only, with usable coverage required.

Questions

Which coordinate systems do the files use?

The GeoTIFF is in WGS 84 latitude and longitude (EPSG:4326), above NAVD 88; its values are in meters, as USGS publishes them. The DXF is in Wisconsin State Plane, US survey feet, with the zone selected from the area’s center county, with elevations in feet. GeoJSON, KML and Shapefile contours are in WGS 84, with each line’s elevation in feet and a meters field alongside.

Where can I see which lidar project covers my site?

The checker in the Lidar Coverage in Wisconsin guide lists available USGS 3DEP work-unit metadata at a point. A failed lookup means unknown coverage, and the county seat does not describe every site in that county.

Can several people use one pass?

A pass lives in the browser it was bought in, with no account. Anyone can run the tools for free; downloads work in the browser that holds the pass.

Guides

Data

Everything runs on the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth elevation model: lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel where it has been flown, and the 1/3 arc-second model, about 33 ft per pixel, elsewhere. Every result says how much of the area came from that coarser model.

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.