Redirecting to Data Source

To get this dataset, please read the following:

How did you get here?

More information:

The Dataset that you want to download is available from either the USGS's Seamless Data Distribution System or INEGI. Please review the Data Sources Column on the previous page to determine which data source is appropriate.

If a binational dataset with multiple sources routed you to this page, then the U.S. and Mexico data must be obtained separately from each site.

More information about these sites is available in the next column.

For USGS's Seamless Data Distribution System, click here.

For Instituto Nacional De Estadística, Geografía, e Informática (INEGI), click here.

What is the USGS Seamless Data Distribution System?

The Seamless Data Distribution System (SDDS) is the ultimate location to explore and retrieve data. The USGS and the EROS Data Center are committed to providing access to geospatial data through The National Map. An approach is to provide free downloads of national base layers, as well as other geospatial data layers. These layers are divided into framework categories.

Places
Structures
Transportation
Boundaries
Hydrography
Orthoimagery
Land Cover
Elevation

A tutorial for using the SDDS can be found here.

To visit the SDDS, click here.

What is INEGI, and how do I get data from them?

Mexican geospatial data are available for purchase from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía, e Informática (INEGI), the official mapping agency of Mexico. To visit their site, click here.

The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data are available for direct download. For instructions to download these data, click here.

The Digital Orthophotos (DOQs) are available for viewing. For instructions to view these data, click here.

To see an interactive map of available data, and then order the data:

1. Click here, then click Iniciar on the page that appears.

2. At the bottom left side of the map, select product type and zoom level, then click on the desired area of the map to view quad codes.

3. To view availability, select the product from the bottom right side, then click Enviar.

4. To zoom, select zoom level and click on desired area of the map.

5. Remember that MDE stands for Modelos De Elevación

6. To order the data, either call the INEGI sales center in Aguascalientes at (52) 449 918-19-48 or send a fax to (52) 449 916-80-21 with a list of products and quadrangle codes or names. You can also send an email to their sales center (ventassede@inegi.gob.mx). The INEGI sales center will calculate the cost in dollars and fax or email the information back to you. A certified check or credit card will need to be used to make the purchase.

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Modelos de Elevación for Mexico

INEGI has mosaicked their digital elevation models for the entire country. The source for the data is their contours from 1:50,000-scale maps, and 1:25,000-scale urban maps where available. To edge-match the borders, INEGI used the USGS National Elevation Dataset for the U.S. border and the SRTM 90-meter for Guatemala. The data have been resampled to a 30-meter grid and are available as “seamless” DEMs at no cost to the user through INEGI’s website. DEMs can be downloaded in .bil format (compatible with ESRI's ArcMap), by 1:50,000 quad, or by specifying an area no larger than 2 square degrees.

To Get to INEGI's DEMs

1. Click here to visit their website.

2. Enter in your user name in the field labeled “Clave de usuario”, your password in the field labeled “Contraseña”, and click “Entrar”. If you do not have a username, click here for instructions on creating an account.

3. Click on the box labeled “Área de Descarga del CEM.”

4. Select the quad that you would like to obtain the DEM for. There are 3 different ways to do this:

Enter in the boundary lat/long coordinates.
Enter the INEGI 1:50,000 quad number (ex. F13D18)
Click on “Selección gráfica de claves 1:50,000”, which open a map for you to select an area from.

5. Once an area has been selected, a screen will appear with the bounding lat/long coordinates, download size, and approximate download times. If the coordinates look correct, click on “Extraer MDE.”

6. A new screen will appear. Near the bottom of the page, you will see a box with the text: “Se generó el siguiente archive compactado para descarga:.” Click on the box below this to download the DEM. You should see the name of the zip file that will be downloaded in that box.

7. To make another selection, click on the highlighted link at the top of the screen. The sentence that the link is located in is: “Para realizar otra selección de descarga dé clic aquí.” This will take you back to step 4.

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DOQs for Mexico

INEGI produces DOQs for Mexico. These data can be accessed in your GIS from a Web Mapping Service (WMS), viewed through an Internet Map Service, or purchased on CD from INEGI.

To view Mexico DOQQs within a GIS session using a WMS, follow these sample directions for ESRI's ArcGIS:

1. Be sure that you are connected the internet.

2. Open ArcCatalog

3. Among the directories/folders that ArcCatalog is connected to, you will also see a connection to “GIS Servers.” Double click on “GIS Servers.”

4. After double clicking, you will see new options. Double click on “Add WMS Server.”

5. In the dialog box that opens, paste the following URL into the box labeled “URL:.”
http://antares.inegi.gob.mx/cgi-bin/map4/mapserv_orto

6. Click “OK” ArcCatalog will establish the connection and add a new WMS to ArcCatalog labeled “Mexico Orto on antares.inegi.gob.mx”

7. Expanding the WMS in ArcCatalog reveals a layer called “Mexico Orto” that can be added to ArcMap like any other layer. Some coordinate systems will not display the IMS. To be certain that it will display, please make sure that the data frame’s coordinate system is set to “GCS_WGS_1984.” (WGS 1984)

To view orthophotos through INEGI's Internet Map Service (IMS), click here