Map sources
Our U.S. map
My Local Sky’s U.S. map uses roads, waterways, place names and boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau. We import geography for all 50 states and Washington, DC, generate the map tiles locally, and create the styling ourselves. A completed map remains available while a replacement is prepared.
Geography: 2025 Census TIGER/Line®, cartographic boundaries, and Gazetteer files. TIGER/Line® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Census Bureau. Geometry is simplified for display; this map is not a survey or a legal boundary determination.
Terrain elevation: U.S. Geological Survey, 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). We resample elevation data and encode local terrain tiles for shading. The independent basemap uses no OpenStreetMap geography or Mapzen elevation.
Surrounding world outlines use public-domain Natural Earth land and lake data. Detailed international coverage is separate from these geographic outlines.
Base geography is cached locally and checked for updates monthly. Weather forecasts and radar refresh on their own schedules.
Satellite imagery
When Satellite is selected, imagery is provided by USDA and USGS, The National Map.
Fallback map
When the independent atlas is not available, the fallback map uses OpenFreeMap tiles, OpenMapTiles, and © OpenStreetMap contributors, under the Open Database License. Terrain uses Mapzen elevation data. Credits remain visible on those maps.
Map software and fonts
Interactive rendering uses MapLibre GL JS. Labels use Noto Sans under the SIL Open Font License. These software and font licenses remain applicable to the map.