If you’ve ever wished you had a map that highlighted all the hiking trails in city limits or longed to see where all the libraries + voting polls are located — it’s high time you met GIS mapping. GIS mapping is a go-to, visual resource used by the city, county, state, local organizations, and passionate locals to help us discover data about places in our community.

So what exactly is GIS?

GIS (geographic information system) is a tool for gathering, managing + analyzing data. Maps are created through GIS software (like ArcGIS, Google Earth + more) to analyze physical locations and organize layers of info into visualizations in the form of maps + 3D scenes.

GIS is used by thousands of organizations, companies, and governments — think National Parks guiding visitors or environmental organizations sharing climate data. GIS is also used by cities to help their community learn about trends, specific locations + more. These maps allow people to communicate, perform analysis, share information, and even solve problems on a local and a global level.

How is it used locally?

Knoxville has its own dedicated GIS site, KGIS, which is supported by information from City of Knoxville, Knox County and the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB). On the KGIS site you'll find mapping of historical aerials, planning and zoning maps, political districts, school districts, and more. There's even a video tutorial that shows you how to navigate the tool.

The Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration also has a site with a variety of GIS applications — including a property map viewer, maps of the state's recreation data (parks, greenways, trails, etc.), and a TNMap application of historical sites and structures.