Department Of Commerce
The Community Technical Assistance Program is pleased to offer a wide variety of mapping and analysis services to help communities in the development and implementation of long range planning documents. Mapping and analysis is created in conjunction with local communities, to provide data and analysis that meets local needs and requirements. CTAP currently has access to ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, ESRI Network Analyst and CommunityViz licenses that it can use to provide assistance, including mapping and analysis to support long range planning documents, mapping for regulatory planning documents, spatial analysis and online and interactive mapping.

The following list contains external sources of GIS available within Montana. The data sources linked within this list all provide data at the sub-county level and may be of benefit in the development of long range planning documents or in the review of development proposals.

GENERAL GIS DATA

Montana State Library Data List: Contains comprehensive searchable and downloadable GIS data within the state. The State Library houses the state's Administrative Boundaries, Geographic Names, Hydrography, Land Cover, Structures and Transportation GIS Frameworks. These frameworks contain the most up-to-date and accurate GIS information available at the state level.

PARCELS AND LAND USE

Montana Cadastral: Statewide parcels, downloadable at the county level.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND POPULATION

Montana Census and Economic Information Center: Interactive maps, population projections, economic, public health and energy statistics.

U.S. Census Bureau: Tabular data including 2020 U.S. Census and American Community Survey Data. Data tables can be joined to downloaded TIGER shapefiles.

U.S. Census Bureau TIGER Shapefiles: U.S. Census geographies, including tracts, block groups and blocks. TIGER also maintains road and water body shapefiles, though local or state-sourced data is likely to be more accurate.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development CPD Maps: Interactive mapping application.

TRANSPORTATION

Montana Department of Transportation Interactive Map Gallery

Center for Neighborhood Technology Housing and Transportation Affordability Index:  Housing and transportation cost data for urban areas within Montana and the United States.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks GIS Data: Including habitat, management areas and lake/stream data.

USDA Web Soil Survey

Montana DNRC Webmaps

Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas GIS Map

ENVIRONMENTAL AND FLOODPLAIN

FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Including digital flood insurance rate maps and scanned flood insurance rate maps.

EPA Environmental Justice EJSCREEN: Online mapping tool including federal superfund sites, brownfields and environmental justice-related data.

DEQ Leaking Underground Storage Tank Data

AERIAL IMAGERY

Montana State Library USGS Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles

USGS Earth Explorer: Contains current and historic aerial photographs of varying quality.

The Department of Commerce takes no responsibility for the validity or accuracy of any external data, and this list is provided for informational purposes only. If you are aware of any data sources that could be added to this list, please contact us through our online contact form.

You can explore low and moderate income data for your community using HUD’s low and moderate income map application below.

For further assistance calculating LMI for your community, please contact CTAP through the online contact form.

CTAP currently has access to ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online, ESRI Network Analyst and CommunityViz licenses that it can use to provide assistance, including:

Mapping and analysis support for long range planning documents, such as Growth Policies and Capital Improvements Plans

CTAP can assist communities with the development of maps that are typically included in growth policies, displaying existing ground conditions and analyzing available data to identify trends that may not be readily apparent from raw census-level data. CTAP can also help to develop maps that portray desired future conditions, including future land use maps, maps that display and project likely outcomes based on current or proposed development patterns and maps that help to identify potential community needs and trends.

Mapping for regulatory planning documents, such as Zoning Ordinances

Jurisdictions wishing to amend or adopt zoning ordinances or other regulatory documents can ask CTAP to help them in the development of supporting maps. Maps can be developed at the local level and then digitized to create a readable, accessible map.

Online, Interactive Mapping

Communities in the process of developing planning documents may wish to have maps available online to support their public participation efforts. CTAP can host community web mapping resources through its ArcGIS online account.

Spatial Analysis Including:  

Site Suitability

This type of analysis helps to answer questions such as:

  • Where is the best place to locate a new shopping center?
  • What is the highest and best use of a vacant parcel within a community?
  • Would a particular site be appropriate for the development of housing?

Service Area Analysis 

This type of analysis looks at the broader impacts of existing or proposed services.

  • Does the current fire station provide adequate response to outlying community members?
  • Who would benefit from a new hospital placed in a particular location?

Land Use and Demographics Analysis

This type of analysis explores existing ground conditions and draws conclusions from those conditions.

  • What is the current mix of land use within the community?
  • Is there enough affordable housing?
  • Do seniors live disproportionately far away from necessary services?
  • Is there land available for industrial development that has access to necessary transportation infrastructure?

Growth and Buildout Projections

Communities can change over time. This type of analysis answers questions such as:

  • If we approve a new large-scale residential development, what impact will that have on existing services?
  • If the community continues as it has, how will the community likely grow over the next 20 years?
  • If the community adopts or amends regulations, what are the possible consequences of those changes?

Transportation Corridor Modeling

This looks at the existing transportation infrastructure and how it plays into the community.

  • Is the current transportation network sufficient to attract new industry?
  • Is the current transportation network overbuilt?
  • Could the community save money without losing capacity by changing the road maintenance schedule?
  • How well served are existing land uses?

Walkability Analysis

  • How walkable is the current community?
  • Can local children safely walk to school?
  • Is biking feasible in the community?
  • Are there sidewalks, and do they serve affordable housing?