Oregon Elevation ToolsOpen the map →

Check a lot or rural acreage in Oregon before you buy

Check land before buying it: select the county taxlot on the map and see how steep it is, how much winter sun it gets, where water runs in heavy rain and how high it sits, from the USGS 3DEP lidar elevation model, for any parcel in Oregon.

Compare up to 5 parcels side by side, and take a terrain report as a PDF to your lender, your builder or your family. Everything runs on screen for free before you decide.

The workflow

  1. Step 1 · Property

    Select the parcel

    The county assessor’s taxlot as the working area, so every number applies to that parcel.

    Open Property →How it works

  2. Step 2 · Slope & Aspect

    How steep is it?

    The share of the parcel in each slope class, and where building is easy or hard.

    Open Slope & Aspect →How it works

  3. Step 3 · Sunlight

    How much winter sun?

    Hours of direct sun on December 21, with shadows from the hills and ridges around it.

    Open Sunlight →How it works

  4. Step 4 · Water & Drainage

    Where does the water go?

    Drainage channels, and the low spots where water sits after heavy rain.

    Open Water & Drainage →How it works

  5. Step 5 · Saved Properties

    Compare the shortlist

    Up to 5 parcels in one table: elevation, slope, winter sun and drainage.

    Open Saved Properties →How it works

  6. Step 6 · Property Report

    Take a report with you

    A PDF terrain report for the parcel you are weighing up.

    Open Property Report →How it works

Free to run · pay to download

See the full result on the map free, with no account. Download the property report as a PDF and its data bundle, and slope, sun and drainage data as GeoTIFF, GeoJSON or KML with a pass: US$29 for 24 hours, US$99 for 30 days or US$399 for 12 months, a one-off payment in US dollars that never renews. Every download on the site is included while the pass lasts.

Start on the map →Pass prices and what’s included

What it doesn’t replace

  • The tools show terrain, not zoning, setbacks, access, water, septic or soils. Check with the county and read the listing and disclosures.
  • This is not a flood or landslide map. Check FEMA’s flood maps and DOGAMI’s hazard maps; the property report lists where to find them.
  • Taxlot lines are the assessor’s maps, not surveys, and can differ from fences on the ground. For a boundary question, hire a licensed land surveyor.

Questions

Can I see whether a parcel floods or slides?

Not directly. The tools show where the terrain sends water and how steep the ground is, but flood zones are on FEMA’s flood maps and landslide hazards on DOGAMI’s hazard maps. The property report’s checklist links to both.

How do I know whether a lot gets winter sun?

Run Sunlight for December 21, the shortest day, which is the default. You see hours of direct sun for every part of the parcel, with shadows from the terrain around it, and optionally from trees and buildings where DOGAMI’s surface model has data.

Can several people use one pass?

A pass lives in the browser it was bought in, with no account. Anyone can run the tools for free; downloads work in the browser that holds the pass.

Guides

Data

Everything runs on the USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) bare-earth elevation model: lidar at 3.3 ft per pixel where it has been flown, and the 1/3 arc-second model, about 33 ft per pixel, elsewhere. Every result says how much of the area came from that coarser model.

USGS 3DEP elevation data and USGS maps are U.S. Government works in the public domain: you may use the results, including commercially. A credit to the USGS 3D Elevation Program is appreciated, and every file you download carries it. DOGAMI lidar products are published by the State of Oregon; credit "DOGAMI / Oregon Lidar Consortium". County taxlot boundaries are the assessor's GIS data, not surveys, and each county publishes its own disclaimer, shown with the parcel. The aerial basemap is from Esri and follows Esri's terms; it is not included in downloads.