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National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Home Ocean Facts How do I get NOAA nautical charts?

Where do I get NOAA nautical charts?

Head to the NOAA Coast Survey website for the latest charting products.

Two different renderings of NOAA Electronic Navigational Chart (NOAA ENC®) data of the Columbia River, Oregon.
Two different renderings of NOAA Electronic Navigational Chart (NOAA ENC®) data of the Columbia River, Oregon. The top image is from an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) and the bottom image is output from the NOAA Custom Chart application.

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey is the nation’s chartmaker, providing thousands of electronic navigational charts covering 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.6 million square nautical miles of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters to the outer limits of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Here’s a quick overview of the nautical charts that NOAA produces.

  • NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts (NOAA ENCs®) are NOAA's most powerful electronic charting product. The charts are available on the navigation systems of many types of ships and recreational boats, as well as large commercial vessels that use a sophisticated navigational computer called an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).

  • NOAA Custom Chart is an application that enables users to create their own custom nautical charts, derived from the latest NOAA ENC data.

  • Historical Maps & Charts Collection contains over 35,000 images, including some of the nation’s earliest nautical charts.

  • United States Coast Pilot® is ten volumes of supplemental information important to navigation. PDFs are updated regularly and are free for download.

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Did you know?

President Thomas Jefferson founded Coast Survey in 1807 and tasked it with creating charts of the nation's coastal waters so America's young shipping industry could thrive. Reflecting Coast Survey's beginnings, the Historical Map & Chart Collection contains over 35,000 images — charts, maps, sketches, and more — that are available free to the public. 


Last updated: 11/15/24
Author: NOAA
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