North Carolina Elevation ToolsMake contours →

Download Contour Lines for North Carolina

Generate topographic contour lines for any area in North Carolina, from the USGS 3D Elevation Program's lidar elevation model, at any interval from 1 ft.

Ready to generate contour lines?

Pick an area on the map, choose an interval and see the contours straight away. No account, nothing to install.

Start creating contours →

What are contour lines?

Contour lines are lines on a map that join points of equal elevation. Close together, the ground is steep; far apart, it is gentle. A closed loop is a hilltop or a hollow, and a run of V-shaped bends points up a gully or down a ridge. They are the most compact way to show the shape of the land, which is why they sit under every hiking map, site plan and grading drawing.

Why use North Carolina Elevation Tools?

  • Lidar detail: contours are generated from the USGS 3DEP seamless bare-earth model, 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey has been flown. USGS 3DEP serves lidar-derived elevation across North Carolina: 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey exists, about 9.8 ft per pixel where the model is built from older lidar.
  • Your interval, in feet: 1 ft, 2 ft, 5 ft, 10 ft, 20 ft, 40 ft, 100 ft, 200 ft, 500 ft, rather than the one fixed interval printed on a published map sheet.
  • Formats for every program: GeoJSON and Shapefile for GIS, DXF for CAD in North Carolina State Plane, US survey feet (EPSG:2264), KML for Google Earth, SVG for design and PDF for print.
  • Real boundaries: in every county, click a property and the contours on the map stop at the county assessor's parcel line, and so do the GeoJSON and KML files saved from the Contour Lines panel. Download Data files cover the rectangle around it.
  • Nothing to install: it all runs in the browser.

How to download contour lines

  1. Select your area. Search a place or an address and select, draw or upload an area up to 7.5 miles per side, or use the Property tool to pick a parcel.
  2. Choose a contour interval. 1 or 2 ft for a house lot or a driveway, 5 or 10 ft for acreage in the Piedmont or on the Coastal Plain, 20 ft or more for steep country such as the Black Mountains or Linville Gorge.
  3. Pick your format. The Contour Lines panel itself saves GeoJSON and KML, clipped to the parcel when you selected one; the Download Data tool covers every format below, for the rectangle around your area:
    • GeoJSON or Shapefile for QGIS, ArcGIS and other GIS software
    • DXF for AutoCAD and Civil 3D
    • PDF for a printable map sheet
    • KML for Google Earth
    • SVG for graphic design and laser cutting
    • STL or OBJ for a 3D terrain model
  4. Download. Download Data files carry the USGS credit and state what share of their area fell outside the full-resolution lidar work units.

Create your contour map now

Contours render on the map as soon as you pick an interval, so you can judge the result before you export it.

Open the contour toolAny interval from 1 ft, any area up to 7.5 miles per sideContours for a propertyContours over a county parcel

Common uses for contour lines

Hiking and trail running

Contours show where a trail climbs, where it traverses and where the ridges and drainages run. Pair them with an elevation profile before a day in the Black Mountains or Linville Gorge.

Land development and building

Contours are the first layer of a site plan: where the flat ground is, how water will move and how much grading a building pad needs. They help you prepare for a conversation with your county planning department about a building permit; they do not replace the survey the county may ask for.

GIS and mapping

GeoJSON and Shapefile exports carry each line's elevation in feet, with a meters field alongside, ready for analysis and cartography in QGIS or ArcGIS.

3D printing

The same area can be exported as an STL or OBJ surface. See 3D printing a terrain model.

About the data source

Ground elevations on this site come from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) seamless bare-earth model: 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey has been flown, about 9.8 ft per pixel where the model is built from older lidar, and about 33 ft per pixel elsewhere, with elevations above NAVD 88. The data is in the public domain. North Carolina’s statewide lidar is published through NC OneMap and carried by USGS 3DEP. USGS 3DEP serves lidar-derived elevation across North Carolina: 3.3 ft per pixel where a full-resolution lidar survey exists, about 9.8 ft per pixel where the model is built from older lidar. Check any address on the lidar coverage page. More from the USGS 3D Elevation Program and NC OneMap’s elevation data.

Frequently asked questions

Is the contour tool free?

Generating and viewing contours on the map is free, with no account. Downloading the files needs a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, one-off payments in US dollars, not subscriptions.

How accurate is the elevation data behind the contours?

Accuracy is inherited from the USGS 3DEP source and the lidar project behind it, not asserted by this tool. Where a full-resolution lidar survey exists the model is 3.3 ft per pixel and its vertical accuracy is that project’s, as USGS publishes it; where the model is built from older lidar it is about 9.8 ft per pixel; outside both the seamless DEM is about 33 ft per pixel and far coarser. The lidar coverage checker names the survey, its year and its quality level at any point, and every download states what share of its area fell outside the full-resolution lidar work units. Values are bare-earth elevations above NAVD 88 from a digital elevation model — they exclude buildings and tree canopy and are not a substitute for a surveyed elevation where a legal or engineering decision depends on it.

Can I use the contours commercially?

USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. County parcel boundaries are the assessor's GIS data compiled by NC OneMap, not surveys, and the county that published each parcel is named with it. The aerial basemap is from Esri and follows Esri's terms; it is not included in downloads.

What if I need contours for a larger area?

One request covers up to 7.5 miles per side. For a bigger area, split it into adjoining blocks and generate each one; the contours are cut from the same seamless elevation model, so they meet at the edges.

Which contour interval should I pick?

The tool offers 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 100, 200, 500 ft. Use 1 or 2 ft for a house lot, a driveway or site work, 5 or 10 ft for acreage, a farm or a day hike, and 20 ft or more for steep country such as the Black Mountains or the Blue Ridge Escarpment, where finer lines merge into a solid band. If the lines crowd together so tightly you cannot see the ground between them, step the interval up.

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