Map Tiles by makepath

makepath is excited to share a new set of map tiles with the open source geospatial community!

These map tiles are not only free, but built using Open Source tools.

We had a lot of fun creating these; we hope you have just as much fun integrating them into your projects!

This new free service follows the recent release of our 2020 Census Data Processing Tool.

The first map tiles release includes 2020 Census Geographic Boundaries as vector tilesets from the Census Block Group (BG) level and above. Demographic attributes will be added in the future.

The goal is to provide easy access to 2020 Census datasets in a way that is simple to incorporate into web mapping applications.

How to Integrate the Map Tiles into your Applications

To access the tilesets, visit makepath’s new Maps page:

maps.makepath.com

These tilesets are easy to build into your web mapping applications using standard libraries like Leaflet and MapLibre.

Watch this quick overview to learn how to navigate the new page:

Each tileset description includes a How To section that explains how you can reference the code in your applications.

Step 1

Sign up with your name and email address to get your API key.

Step 2

Add the map tiles of your choice to your existing application using the following information:

URL Format

https://tiles.makepath.com/census_tiles/cb_2020_us_aiannh_500k_tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.pbf?key=API-key

Bold = Tileset name (in this case, it’s American Indian/Alaska Native Areas/Hawaiian Home Lands)

Italic = Your API key (received via email)

MapLibre and Leaflet

Code examples for both MapLibre and Leaflet are provided at the bottom right of the How to use section of the map tile viewer.

A technical tutorial will be released shortly detailing exactly how to reference the tilesets in popular web mapping applications.

Step 3

Reach out to makepath! If you have any questions or comments about the map tiles, contact makepath anytime at contact@makepath.com.

Step 4

Join the discussion on the makepath LinkedIn and Twitter.

Map Tile Examples

When you select a tileset, the viewer automatically scales to the extent of the tileset you’ve chosen.

The tiles are interactive. Hovering over a tile and clicking it provides you with more information, such as name and category.

Tilesets retain their high resolution even as you explore different zoom levels.

Available Map Tiles

You can access all the tilesets by clicking on the top right dropdown menu in the interactive viewer.

The following tilesets are included in the first release:

Important Note: This service is in its earliest stages and can be discontinued at any time. This service should not be used for mission-critical applications.

Future Map Tiles

Is there any data you want easily available as map tiles?

Have you worked on projects that incorporated map tiles— or do you want to?

Let us know at contact@makepath.com