Maps and Atlases

North Carolina

Check the library catalog first to identify maps you need. Most thematic maps covering North Carolina are filed in the maps collection by LC or sudoc call numbers, or in thematic sections of the map collection. The catalog will provide call numbers and locations.

Topographic Maps

The library has all USGS topographic maps for North Carolina in the 1:24,000 scale.

Census Maps

North Carolina census tract and block group maps from the decennial censuses are available as follows:

2000 and 1990 census -- These maps are available online as "Reference Maps" via the American FactFinder web site.
1980 census -- These maps are shelved in pockets of the relevant census volumes in the U.S. Documents stacks, D. H. Hill 2nd floor.

Interactive Maps

North Carolina is well-represented on agency interactive mapping web sites. See our links from the Interactive Mapping Sites web page.

Flood Maps

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are available for Wake County. However, FIRMs covering the portion of Wake County within the Neuse River Basin have been superceeded by new digital flood maps (DFIRMs). New maps for the rest of Wake County, which is the Cape Fear River Basin, are anticipated to be available online in late 2005 or 2006.

DFIRM availability for North Carolina is progressing by river basin from east to west across the state, and all effective maps may be downloaded as PDF files from NCFloodmaps.com.

Miscellaneous

There are a few maps of historical interest in a small, browseable section of the North Carolina map case. These thematic maps include highway and transportation maps, aerial photographs, soil maps, land use project plans, and county outline maps. Labels on the map case will direct you to the relevant drawers for browsing.

As of March 1, 2006, all maps are located at the Satellite Shelving Facility except North Carolina topographical maps in the 1:24,000 scale, which are in the newspaper reading area at D. H. Hill Library in the west wing.