WMU Research Guides: Maps: GIS Resources

Free GIS Software

Many state governments share GIS data with the public and can be found by searching "state name" + "GIS" on your preferred search engine.

State of Michigan Open Data Portal
Shapefiles and data for Michigan.
National Map
Shapefiles and data from the National Map covering the US.
National Map Global Data
Shapefiles and data from the National Map covering the world.
Census Boundary Files
Cartographic boundary files created by the US Census.
Geogratis
Free Canadian data.
Data.gov
A wide variety of geographic data from the US government.
UN Geographic Information Working Group
A clearinghouse of data compiled by the United Nations.
Natural Earth
A good source for free small scale vector and raster GIS data.
Open Street Map Data - Features
GIS layers made by Geofabrik from the open source Open Street Map. Contains features like roads, waterways, buildings, and land use, but not polygons for land.
Open Street Map Data - Land and Water
GIS layers for land and water.
United States Interagency Elevation Inventory
A collaborative effort between NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey cataloging high-accuracy topographic and bathymetric data for the United States and its territories.