Minnesota.data is a cooperative effort of state agencies to make spatial data more accessible to the GIS community. The collection consists of a series of mass-produced data sets on CD. Collectively, the data sets are voluminous to download via the Internet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Land Management Information Center (LMIC) have produced the first three volumes.

Volume 1:  Vector Data Volume 2:  Raster Data

Note:  More recent data replaces most vector layers on Volume 1 and 2 -- see the DNR's Data Deli to download updated data.

The DNR has released a two-CD set of some of its "core" data for GIS professionals who use ArcView, EPIC or EPPL7. Volume 1 contains fifty thematic layers of vector data in shapefile format including Marschner's original vegetation, Cummins and Grygal soils, county well index data, administrative boundaries, roads and other layers.

The second volume contains six statewide raster data layers at 30-meter resolution in EPPL7 format including several NWI (wetland) layers, 1990s Census of the Land, 1:24,000 digital elevation and shaded relief.

See complete list of data themes for Volumes 1 and 2.

Volume 3:  Statewide DRGs

LMIC has published a five-CD set of statewide digital raster graphics (DRGs) in conjunction with free EPPLviewer software. DRGs are images of 1:24,000 scale U.S. Geologic Survey topographic maps, stored in compressed (zip) files in GeoTIFF format. Volume 3 contains all of the DRGs for Minnesota as modified by the DNR. The DNR has clipped the original U.S. Geological Survey DRGs to quad boundaries thus allowing seamless viewing of adjacent files. Full documentation for the modified DRGs is available online. The data covers all 1,745 quads in Minnesota and is organized on the CDs in five east-west bands. The EPPLviewer software will automatically convert, window and display the DRG data for your study area. (Note:  individual DRG files may also be downloaded free from the DNR's Data Deli.)

To obtain mn.data CDs, contact Brent Lund, brent.lund@state.mn.us or 651-201-2487