This page covers GIS services available in the Scholarly Commons. For an in-depth overview of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), see our GIS guide.
Find Geospatial Data
You may wish to start your search for geospatial data with the Big Ten Academic Alliance Geoportal.
This directory is a selection of geospatial data available throughout the web. If you cannot find the data you need in this list, please contact the Scholarly Commons at sc@library.illinois.edu.
Library Data Collection
If you would like to access the data in this list, please contact Data Discovery and Business Librarian Carissa Phillips at choller@illinois.edu for assistance.
- PALSAR satellite imagery for northern Wisconsin
Library Subscription Services
- SimplyAnalytics (formerly SimplyMap) (UIUC subscription)
- Social Explorer (UIUC subscription)
- Geolytics Census CD 2000 Long Form (UIUC subscription)
- Geolytics Census CD 1990 in 2000 Geographies (UIUC subscription)
- Geolytics Census CD 1980 in 2000 Geographies (UIUC subscription)
Federal Government
General
- AVRIS Data Portal (NASA)
- Dataset Reference Guide (US Department of Housing and Urban Development)
- Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center (U.S. Geological Survey)
- Geoplatform.gov (Federal Geographic Data Committee)
- GIS WTB (Federal Communications Commission)
- Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD)
- Maps (Library of Congress)
- Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) National Land Cover Database (NLCD) (U.S. Geological Survey)
- National Map (U.S. Geological Survey)
- Small Scale Data (U.S. Geological Survey)
- TIGER Products (U.S. Census Bureau)
- Transtats (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
- Uniform Crime Reporting Program (FBI)
- U.S. Government Open Data
Agriculture
- National Agricultural Statistics Service CropScape – Cropland Data Layer (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Geospatial Data Gateway (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Geospatial Data Gateway (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- NRCS Web Soil Survey (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- U.S Forest Service Geodata Clearinghouse (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Health
- Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (CDC)
- Health Resources & Services Administration’s Data and Maps
- National Cancer Institute GIS Portal (NIH)
- National Center for Health Statistics (CDC)
- U.S. Geological Survey Science Data Catalog
Nature
- BOEM Data Center ( Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)
- BSEE Data Center (Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement)
- Database of the Geologic Map of North America (U.S. Geological Survey)
- Data Repositories (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
- Data and Tools (The Nature Conservancy)
- Geospatial Resources (EPA)
- National Geologic Map Database (U.S. Geological Survey)
- National Wetlands Inventory (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
- National Weather Service GIS Data Portal (NOAA)
- Navigator (Bureau of Labor Management)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration
Non-Government Organizations
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (The Newberry Library)
- County Health Rankings (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute)
- Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care (Dartmouth)
- EDGE Geodata (National Center for Education Statistics)
- Great Lakes Mapping and GIS (Great Lakes Information Network)
- Geoportal (Big Ten Academic Alliance)
- Geospatial Data Clearinghouse Directory (GISUSer 2009)
- Libre Map Project
- National Historical Geographical Information System (IPUMS – University of Minnesota)
- PRISM Climate Group (NACSE – Oregon State University)
- State Online Atlases (Western Illinois University)
- Substance Addiction and HIV Data Archive Program (NAHDAP)
Library Data Collection
If you would like to access the data in this list, please contact Data Discovery and Business Librarian Carissa Phillips at choller@illinois.edu for assistance.
- Locations of Villages in Himachal Pradesh, India
- High-resolution satellite imagery of the Bermejo River (Argentina)
Online Collections
- ArcMap Optimized Landsat Global Land Survey (GLS) Imagery
- Atlas for the BioSphere (SAGE)
- DIVA-GIS
- Earthdata Search
- ETH Zürich
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Geolode
- Geo-Referencing for Ethnic Groups
- Global Administrative Areas
- Global Risk Data Platform
- Natural Earth
- Natural Resources and Environment: Databases/Information Systems (UN Food and Agriculture Organization)
- NGA GEOnet Names Server (GNS)
- Open Street Map
- Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)
- WorldClim
- World Health Organization
- WorldPop
- World Resources Institute
Use Advanced GIS Software
We have 12 Windows desktops with various GIS software applications. See our Software page for details.
Connect with the GIS Community at the University of Illinois
The University of Illinois has a vibrant GIS community of researchers and professionals. The following academic units and groups teach GIS or organize GIS events:
- Department of Geography & Geographic Information Science
- Department of Urban and Regional Planning
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
- School of Information Sciences, The iSchool at Illinois
- Illinois GIS Day
Have another department to suggest? Contact us at sc@library.illinois.edu.
To subscribe to GIS-related email lists, visit the GIS Email Lists section on our GIS guide.