State launches upgraded online mapping site

If you are looking for another online portal to check the landscape around your neighborhood, Washington state has enhanced its Internet mapping tools and library.

The Washington State Department of Information Services launched the Washington State Geospatial Portal. This government site (and others like it) which supply much of the information for Google Earth and Bing, is a way to access a wide variety of maps, interactive mapping applications, and geographic data hosted on government websites.

Until this portal was launched, individuals would need to search through multiple state agency websites to find map data. Now, it is all listed in a single online source.

The Geospatial Portal has multiple uses and features. Users have the ability to:

* Download data to view in other map programs like Google Earth or Bing.

* Access online interactive mapping applications, with the ability to select and zoom areas, choose layers, and print. Interactive maps included on the site show information such as broadband speeds, sales tax rates, and comparisons of legislative districts.

* View or download maps showing a variety of information, including county population densities, tsunami and flood hazard areas, or soils and farming data.

The site’s creators plan to include links to maps and data held by cities and counties in Washington state.