# Are there websites offering free high resolution aerial or satellite photos? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015 "2005-04-12T20:53:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/1 "2005-04-12T20:53:40Z")
Hi. Anybody know of any sites which have aerial or satellite photos of good resolution, and that lets you look for free? E.g., is there a federal govt page that offers that? I’ve seen google, but now I’m curious if there is even higher resolution. I’m in rural Michigan, so I understand that good coverage of my area may not really exists. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/2 "2005-04-12T21:05:23Z")
One possibility is [Terraserver](http://terraserver.microsoft.com). ---
**Author:** ![teapot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed655f/32.png) [@teapot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teapot)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/3 "2005-04-12T21:36:45Z")
Hey I found one and I wasn’t bad. I can’t compare to google because I haven’t tried it. [www.terraserver.microsoft.com](http://www.terraserver.microsoft.com) ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/4 "2005-04-12T21:41:47Z")
[maps.google.com](http://maps.google.com) new lets you switch between the map and satellite images. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/5 "2005-04-12T21:44:04Z")
The map from google of my house is in color and it looks sharper than the black and white map from terra server. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/6 "2005-04-12T21:44:29Z")
Your best bet might be to look at the various state gov’t agency sites. For instance, I know that most of Michigan (where your location says you reside) is available at the MDNR site. I use their resources quite frequently. You can download images in the Mr.SID format and view them with the free viewer available from [lizardtech.com](http://lizardtech.com). These images are full color and about 3 meter resolution. ---
**Author:** ![arrosen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@arrosen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arrosen)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/7 "2005-04-12T21:47:26Z")
When Google first started their satellite maps a week or 2 ago, they had much higher resolution pictures. I was able to see a car in my driveway, and easily make out that the car was a minivan or SUV as opposed to a sedan. When I went back to show my wife, the higher resolution images were gone. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/8 "2005-04-12T23:52:28Z")
[World Wind](http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/), from NASA. Thank me later. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/9 "2005-04-13T13:05:21Z")
World Wind. I forgot about that. It’s pretty nifty little (well, not so little at 170M download) application. And here’s the [MDNR site](http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_14546---,00.html) where you can begin your search for their aerial imagery. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/10 "2005-04-13T14:09:36Z")
Since we’re not supposed to post thank you’s in GQ, I’m gonna try to disguise it as a musing: This is 'effin amazing. I was expecting a great big lecture about being a free-loading bastard. I hadn’t been a believer in the digital divide; however every week that goes by I become more convinced that it really exists. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/11 "2005-04-13T15:27:45Z")
[Mapmart.com](http://Mapmart.com) Somewhat difficult interface, but amazing photos and no watermarks. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/12 "2005-04-13T15:33:12Z")
Sorry, I messed up the link. [Try this](http://www.mapmart.com/scripts/hsrun.exe/Single/MapMart_New/MapXtreme.htx;start=HS_Handler?mscale=24k&mproduct=NAPP&mWhereFrom=MapMart&mpage=Zoom&mimagex=694&mimagey=424&munique=0&mqd=0&mdata=''&mzoom=3200&mcenterx=-95.8&mcentery=37&mBaseMap=1) instead. ---
**Author:** ![HugoRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@HugoRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HugoRed)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/13 "2005-04-13T15:44:28Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > [World Wind](http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/), from NASA. Thank me later. Will World Wind really only work with WindowsXP or Windows 2000? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-websites-offering-free-high-resolution-aerial-or-satellite-photos/299015/14 "2005-04-13T20:10:51Z")
There’s also the [National Map (this is a view of the Space Needle)](http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm?BBOX=-122.3504,47.61928,-122.34749,47.62149&CLASSES=REFERENCE%7CSTATE/TERRITORY%7COTHER%20IMAGERY&LAYERSON=4537%7C6089&LAYERSOFF=4952%7C8007%7C8006%7C8005%7C6866%7C7811%7C7074%7C7071%7C4346%7C4038%7C4041%7C4044%7C4047%7C4035%7C4036%7C4039%7C4042%7C4045%7C4033%7C4037%7C4040%7C4043%7C4046%7C4034%7C4966%7C3498%7C6896%7C7604%7C7602%7C7603%7C7601%7C7500%7C7498%7C7499%7C7497%7C7708%7C7706%7C7707%7C7705%7C1924%7C6898%7C197%7C198%7C2839%7C1053%7C2267%7C2048%7C1797%7C1800%7C1798%7C1802%7C1799%7C1803%7C6890%7C6695%7C6738%7C6677%7C3477%7C6893%7C6895%7C6891%7C3475%7C5481%7C3476).