Subject and Course Guides: Maps Produced By The U.S. Government: Nautical & Aeronautical Charts

What are charts?

Nautical and aeronautical charts are maps created to aide in navigation of watercraft and aircraft, respectively.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes nautical charts and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishes aeronautical charts.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes nautical charts.

Nautical charts are maps of maritime areas and coastal regions. Charts may show water depth, topography of the land, seabed features, coastline details, navigational aids, navigational hazards, structures such as harbors, buildings, and bridges, and information on tides, currents, and Earth’s magnetic field. Nautical charts produced by NOAA are available in print or electronically.

Note: Not all charts available are fit for navigation. Charts may be used for planning voyages, analysis, or research purposes, such as studying a changing coastline.

Nautical Charts & Publications
Access to charts, notifications, and publications.
Interactive Catalog
View charts online or download a PDF. Other formats are also available
Use the Interactive Catalog to easily locate recent charts. Most users need only use the “Paper Charts” tab of the viewer. Zoom and pan to a location or use the search box to search by place name, chart number, or latitude/longitude. Boxes show the extent of the charts; scales vary. Click on the area of interest on the map and view the “Map Selection Information” in the right pane to view the charts available for that location. Charts can be downloaded by selecting a format under “Available Products”.
NOAA Historical Map & Chart Image Catalog
Search more than 35,000 images, covering 200 years.
Historical Charts are NOT for Navigation.
A map-based search of the Historical Map and Chart Collection which includes the NOAA Civil War Collection.
Use the search box to search by place name or click “Click To Select a Point on Map” in order to enable the selection of a point on the map. Additional filter criteria available beneath the map include title, map or chart type, year, and chart number. Zoom and pan the map and click to select a point. Click on the area of interest on the map to select a point; a pop-up will show up. Click “View Results” to view a list of the charts and maps for that location. From the results list, items can be previewed and downloaded or added to the cart for multiple downloads.
U.S. Bathymetric and Fishing Maps
Bathymetric maps are the underwater equivalent of topographic maps, showing depth and terrain. Select the types of maps from the layers tab in the right pane of the window. Boxes show the extent of the maps; scales vary. On the map, click the area of interest and select a map from the list that pops up. The map attributes are then displayed. If available, a low-res PDF preview or full-size TIFF file can be downloaded.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publishes aeronautical charts. Aeronautical charts produced by the FAA are available in print or electronically.

Aeronautical charts are maps used for flight navigation. Charts of different scales depict different information.

World aeronautical charts (WAC) have a scale of 1:1,000,000. WACs show topography, airports, and radio navigation aids.
Sectional charts have a scale of 1:500,000 and cover approximately 340x340 miles. Sectional charts show topography, structures, airports, landmarks, obstructions, radio navigation aids, ground navigation aids, airspace classification, terminal area chart (TAC) coverage, and chart tabulations.
Terminal area charts (TAC) have a scale of 1:250,000 and show areas around major airports. TACs are more detailed but depict the same features as sectional charts.

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Charts
Current world, sectional, and terminal aeronautical charts are available for download in a ZIP file containing a TIF image, geospatial and metadata files. Other digital products produced by the FAA are also available by selecting the type in the left pane.
Chart User Guide
An introduction to the aeronautical charts and publications of the FAA.

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Maps Produced By The U.S. Government

What are charts?

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