The State's Front Door to Open GIS Data
The Minnesota Geospatial Commons is a public, collaborative catalog of the state's geospatial resources — and U-Spatial points you to it as a first stop for statewide and county-level data beyond what's on our own shared drive.
What This Data Unlocks
Administered by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), the Commons brings together datasets, web services, maps, and applications from dozens of publishing organizations across the state — spanning natural resources, transportation, utilities, health, and economic development.
For researchers who need Minnesota-specific data beyond U-Spatial's own holdings, it's often the fastest way to find an authoritative source without starting a search from scratch.
Additional uses and/or benefits
Search Multiple Ways
Browse the Commons by contributing organization, theme, or format — whichever starting point matches how you think about your project.
Data or Live Services, Your Choice
Most resources are available as both downloadable files and web services, so you're not forced to store large datasets locally if you'd rather connect directly.
Constantly Growing
The Commons adds new resources on an ongoing basis, including a nightly-updated feed from the Minnesota DNR's own data publishing system.
Getting Access
The MN Geospatial Commons is a free, public resource — no account, sign-in, or University affiliation required.
Visit the MN Geospatial Commons.
Search or browse by contributing organization, theme, or format.
Download the dataset, or connect directly to a web service if you'd rather not download large files.
Need help finding something specific? Contact the U-Spatial Help Desk.
Data Resources
MNGeo Website
The state office that administers the Commons and coordinates Minnesota's GIS resources.
Open site →MN Geospatial Commons FAQs
Quick answers to what people ask us most about finding and using this catalog.
Do I need a University account to use the Commons?
No — it's a free public resource
The MN Geospatial Commons is open to anyone, whether or not you're affiliated with the University of Minnesota.
What kinds of data are available?
A wide range, spanning natural resources to transportation
The Commons includes data relevant to natural resources, transportation, utilities, government, health, economic development, and more, contributed by state agencies, counties, and other organizations.
Can I connect to Commons data as a live service instead of downloading it?
Yes, for many datasets
Many resources on the Commons are available as web services in addition to downloadable files, which is useful for large datasets you don't want to store locally.
How is this different from U-Spatial's own shared drive?
Broader scope, different maintainer
U-Spatial's shared drive holds a curated set of datasets U-Spatial manages directly, like NAIP and county imagery. The Commons is a much larger, statewide catalog maintained by MnGeo and dozens of contributing publishers.
I have an old bookmark to the Commons that isn't working. What happened?
The Commons recently moved to a modernized platform
If a saved link isn't loading correctly, visit the Commons homepage directly rather than relying on an older bookmarked URL, since the site has migrated to a new platform.
What It Costs
Free for Everyone
The MN Geospatial Commons is a public resource maintained by the State of Minnesota, not a U-Spatial license or subscription. Anyone — University-affiliated or not — can access the same catalog at no cost.
Ready to Explore Minnesota's Open Data?
Head to the Commons to search statewide and county datasets across dozens of categories.