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Why Free LiDAR Data Matters
LiDAR data acquisition is expensive. Airborne surveys can cost thousands of dollars per square kilometer. Fortunately, government agencies and research institutions have made vast amounts of LiDAR data freely available to the public.
💡 Pro tip: Already have data you need to process?
Upload it to Lidarvisor and get automatic classification in minutes.
🌎 North America
The world’s most comprehensive free LiDAR repositories
| Source Name | Country | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| USGS 3DEP LidarExplorer The world’s largest free LiDAR repository |
🇺🇸United States | LAZDEMDSM | Download Guide |
| NOAA Digital Coast Coastal and bathymetric LiDAR |
🌊US Coastal | LAZLASDEM | Download Guide |
| Canada HRDEM High Resolution Digital Elevation Model |
🇨🇦Canada | DEMGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| NEON National Ecological Observatory Network |
🔬US (81 sites) | LAZLAS | Download Guide |
🌏 Oceania
National elevation portals for Australia and New Zealand
| Source Name | Country | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia ELVIS Elevation Information System |
🇦🇺Australia | LASLAZDEM | Download Guide |
| New Zealand LINZ Land Information New Zealand |
🇳🇿New Zealand | LASLAZDEM | Download Guide |
🇪🇺 Europe: Major National Portals
Comprehensive national LiDAR programs across Europe
| Source Name | Country | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| IGN LiDAR HD High-density national program (10 pts/m²) |
🇫🇷France | LAZCOG | Download Guide |
| Norway Høydedata National elevation data portal |
🇳🇴Norway | LAZDEM | Download Guide |
| Denmark Dataforsyningen Open data infrastructure |
🇩🇰Denmark | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| OpenTopography Global LiDAR data (EDU/K-12 free access) |
🌍Global | LAZLASDEM | Download Guide |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom & Ireland
Regional portals covering England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland
| Source Name | Region | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Environment Agency Defra data download service |
🏴England | LASASCGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Scottish Remote Sensing Portal National remote sensing data |
🏴Scotland | LASLAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| DataMapWales Welsh geospatial data portal |
🏴Wales | LASGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Ireland Open Data Open topographic LiDAR |
🇮🇪Ireland | LASLAZ | Download Guide |
🇩🇪 Germany (State-Level Data)
Germany does not have a single national LiDAR portal — each federal state (Bundesland) provides its own data
| Source Name | State | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRW Tim-Online North Rhine-Westphalia geoportal |
🇩🇪NRW | XYZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Bavaria BayernAtlas Bavarian state geoportal |
🇩🇪Bavaria | XYZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
🌍 More European Countries
Additional national LiDAR programs across Europe
| Source Name | Country | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia Maa-amet Estonian Land Board geoportal |
🇪🇪Estonia | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Slovenia ARSO Slovenian Environment Agency |
🇸🇮Slovenia | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Poland Geoportal ISOK flood protection data |
🇵🇱Poland | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Netherlands AHN Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |
🇳🇱Netherlands | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Sweden Lantmäteriet National Land Survey of Sweden |
🇸🇪Sweden | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Finland NLS National Land Survey of Finland |
🇫🇮Finland | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Spain PNOA LiDAR Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica |
🇪🇸Spain | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
| Switzerland swisstopo Federal Office of Topography |
🇨🇭Switzerland | LAZGeoTIFF | Download Guide |
☁️ Data Aggregators & Cloud Platforms
Platforms that aggregate LiDAR data from multiple sources for easy discovery
| Platform | Type | Format | Tutorial |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Open LiDAR Cloud-optimized datasets |
☁️Cloud | EPTCOPCLAZ | Access Guide |
What to Do After Downloading LiDAR Data
Once you have downloaded your free LiDAR data, you will need to process it. Raw point clouds require classification, filtering, and product generation before they become useful deliverables.
01
Point Cloud Classification
Separating ground, vegetation, buildings
02
Ground Filtering
Creating a clean bare-earth model
03
DTM/DSM Generation
Producing raster elevation products
04
Contour Extraction
Creating vector contour lines for CAD
05
Feature Extraction
Identifying buildings, trees, infrastructure
Traditional LiDAR processing software can be complex and expensive. Lidarvisor simplifies this workflow with AI-powered automation. Upload your point cloud, and Lidarvisor automatically classifies it into 12 classes including ground, vegetation, buildings, wires, poles, and more.
Process Your Downloaded Data with Lidarvisor
Lidarvisor is designed for surveyors and GIS professionals who need fast, accurate results without the steep learning curve of traditional software. Here is what you can produce from your free LiDAR data:
Tips for Working with Free LiDAR Data
Free datasets vary in quality, point density, and age. Always review the collection date and accuracy specifications before using data in production projects.
LiDAR data comes in various projections. Confirm the CRS matches your project requirements, or be prepared to reproject.
Download a test tile first to evaluate data quality before downloading large datasets.
Older datasets may have lower point density (1-2 points/m²) while newer surveys often exceed 8 points/m². Higher density enables more detailed analysis.
Conclusion
Free LiDAR data is more accessible than ever. Government agencies worldwide are releasing high-quality point cloud datasets that enable projects previously limited by budget constraints. Whether you need terrain data for flood modeling, forestry analysis, or infrastructure planning, these sources provide a solid starting point.
Once you have your data, let Lidarvisor handle the processing. Our AI-powered classification and product generation tools turn raw point clouds into professional deliverables in minutes, not hours.