USGS Geographic Data Download
The USGS has two options for acquiring 1:24,000-Scale (7.5-minute) Digital Elevation Model data.
1. The original DEM 7.5 minute tiled data available only in Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) form is available at no cost via downloads from the GeoComm International Corporation at http://gisdatadepot.com/dem and from MapMart.com at http://www.mapmart.com, and from Advanced Topographic Development and Images (ATDI) at http://www.atdi-us.com. (See disclaimer).
DISCLAIMER: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has entered into an agreement with the GeoCommunity, MapMart.com, and ATDI, to serve updated, SDTS format, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) through the GIS Data Depot at http://www.gisdatadepot.com and at MapMart.com at http://www.mapmart.com, and ATDI at http://www.atdi-us.com for no charge. The 7.5' SDTS DEM data are also available for purchase via premium (fast) download and on CD-ROM from GeoCommunity and for purchase on CD-ROM from MapMart.com.
The decision to provide SDTS DEMs through commercial vendors is consistent with the USGS goal of making more public domain data available at no charge while enabling the private sector to have a greater role in the distribution of USGS data. SDTS DEMs placed on media in response to customer orders will be sold by our partners at a price less than the USGS currently charges.
The GeoCommunity, MapMart.com, and ATDI will continue to receive SDTS versions of the DEMs as they are made available by the USGS.
If you have additional questions or comments, please contact us at sdts@usgs.gov. Please monitor the SDTS Home Page for further news and updates on this issue. http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts
2. The National Elevation Dataset (NED) is the result of the maturation of the USGS effort to provide 1:24,000-scale Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data for the conterminous U.S. and 1:63,360-scale DEM data for Alaska in a seamless form. Available data formats include ArcGrid, Floating Point, and BILS. For more information see (the NED Homepage), or go directly to the The National Map Seamless Server at (Seamless Store).