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Contours make it possible to measure the height of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steep-ness of slopes. topographic map shows more than contours. The map includes symbols that represent such fea-tures as streets, buildings, streams, and vegetation.
USGS Map Symbols. Topographic maps include a wide variety of symbols, some of which are shown here: Please feel free to download and examine the full USGS legend from: https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/TopographicMapSymbols/topomapsymbols.pdf.
Download our historical topographic maps and our more current US Topo maps (published 2009-present) free of charge using TopoView (GeoPDF, GeoTIFF, JPEG, and KMZ formats) or using the USGS Store’s Map Locator (GeoPDF format).
Interpreting the colored lines, areas, and other symbols is the first step in using topographic maps. Features are shown as points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent. For example, individual houses may be shown as small black squares.
The USGS Topographic Maps use symbols or colors to represent features, and this Topographic Map Key explains what they mean. Contour lines are distinctive to the topographic maps but there are other features shown on the maps including buildings, water and vegetation.
See the latest legend with symbols and colors that are used on USGS topographic maps. The legend and the topo maps are free to use on a computer or a phone.
Download our historical topographic maps and our more current US Topo maps (published 2009-present) free of charge using TopoView (GeoPDF, GeoTIFF, JPEG, and KMZ formats) or using the USGS Store’s Map Locator (GeoPDF format).
