National Geodetic

What National Geodetic does

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is a U.S. federal government agency within NOAA's National Ocean Service that defines, maintains, and provides public access to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) — the foundational framework for all civilian positioning, mapping, and navigation in the United States. NGS traces its origins to 1807 when Ferdinand Hassler began work on coastal survey methods, and today it serves professional surveyors, federal and state agencies, GIS professionals, and researchers through a portfolio of free, web-accessible tools and data products.

The agency operates core products including OPUS (Online Positioning User Service) for GNSS/GPS data processing, the NOAA CORS Network of continuously operating reference stations (2,000+ stations), NCAT for coordinate conversion and transformation, geoid models (GEOID18), VDatum for vertical datum conversions, the GRAV-D airborne gravity survey program, and the HTDP tool for modeling crustal motion. Underlying assets include hundreds of thousands of permanent survey marks placed since 1807 and more than 200 million CORS data files served to users. NGS is currently executing a multi-year modernization that replaces legacy datums (NAD83, NAVD88) with four plate-fixed terrestrial reference frames aligned with ITRF2020, the NAPGD2022 geopotential datum, and the SPCS2022 State Plane Coordinate System.

As a federal agency, NGS is publicly funded through congressional appropriations and provides all products at no cost to users — it has no commercial revenue, no pricing model, and is not a viable target for PE/VC/M&A investment. Distribution is entirely self-serve via the web, supplemented by the Geodetic Advisors Program which provides direct technical assistance to state agencies. The agency is not privately owned, has no subsidiaries, has no funding rounds, and has no acquisition history; its 'parent' is NOAA / the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Name

National Geodetic

Legal name

National Geodetic Survey

Website

https://ngs.noaa.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1807

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Geodetic Survey is a U.S. federal agency within NOAA that defines and maintains the National Spatial Reference System, providing free geodetic data processing, coordinate transformation, and positioning reference infrastructure for surveyors, government agencies, and GIS professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geodetic Surveying Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Space Research and Technology (92711), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Satellite Imagery & Remote Sensing Geospatial Platforms (BPAMANAM), Environmental Data Integration, ETL & Interoperability (APIs, Standards, Data Pipelines) (EUAHAKAB), Environmental Reporting, Dashboards & Regulatory Submittals (Automated Reports, e-Reporting) (EUAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Geodetic surveying services
• Spatial reference systems
• GNSS data processing
• Geodetic control data
• Geospatial positioning infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) defines, maintains, and provides free public access to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which serves as the official foundation for all positioning, mapping, and navigation activities in the United States. Its core offerings include GNSS/GPS data processing tools (OPUS, OPUS Projects), coordinate transformation services (NCAT, VDATUM), geoid models, the NOAA CORS Network of continuously operating reference stations, survey mark databases, and the ongoing modernization of U.S. geodetic datums. The agency also delivers aerial imagery for emergency response and coastal mapping applications.

Product overview

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), a division of NOAA's National Ocean Service, provides the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) — the foundation for all positioning, mapping, and navigation in the United States. The product portfolio centers on GNSS/GPS data processing tools (OPUS, OPUS Projects), coordinate transformation services (NCAT, VDATUM), and geodetic models (GEOID18, GEOID12 models). Supporting infrastructure includes the NOAA CORS Network, Survey Mark Datasheets, and specialized programs like GRAV-D (gravity surveys) and Height Modernization. NGS also maintains coastal data including emergency response imagery, shoreline data, and aerial photography. The current modernization initiative is replacing legacy datums (NAD83, NAVD88) with new reference frames and NAPGD2022, along with updated tools including SPCS2022 and new OPUS versions. All services are provided free to the public as U.S. federal government products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OPUS: Online Positioning User Service - tool for processing GNSS/GPS data to provide coordinates in the NSRS
• NOAA CORS Network (NCN)
• GRAV-D
• NCAT
• LOCUS
• HTDP
• Geodetic Tool Kit

Products and services

• OPUS (Online Positioning User Service)
• NOAA CORS Network (NCN)

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ million CORS data files served to users
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Topcon Positioning Systems: Commercial provider of GNSS, surveying, and machine-control positioning technologies. Comparable to NGS as a participant in the high-precision positioning value chain that depends on the public reference frame.
• Trimble: Commercial provider of high-precision GNSS, surveying, and positioning hardware and software. Comparable to NGS as a provider of high-precision positioning workflows, though commercial rather than authoritative.
• Leica Geosystems (Hexagon): Major commercial supplier of surveying instruments and GNSS positioning solutions. Comparable to NGS as the consumer-facing counterpart that turns the public reference frame into commercial productivity tools.
• Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière (IGN): France's national geospatial agency, responsible for geodetic reference frames, mapping, and forestry data. Comparable as a national geodetic and topographic authority analogous to NGS.
• Ordnance Survey: United Kingdom's national mapping agency. Directly comparable as a government-authoritative source of national geospatial reference data, providing positioning, mapping, and boundary data for British users.
• Geoscience Australia: Australian government agency providing national geodetic, positioning, and Earth observation infrastructure. Comparable to NGS in mission and the delivery of public geodetic data.
• Lantmäteriet: Swedish land mapping, cadastral, and geodetic authority. Comparable as a national geodetic and surveying agency that maintains the official reference frame for Sweden.
• Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI): Japan's national geospatial authority, operating the Japanese geodetic reference frame and GNSS CORS network. Closely comparable to NGS in terms of geodetic infrastructure products.
• Esri: Dominant GIS software platform that consumes NGS geodetic data products. Comparable in the sense that it is the most widely deployed consumer of NSRS-derived coordinate data and coordinate transformations.
• Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) - Geodetic Survey Division: Canadian federal agency maintaining the Canadian Geodetic Reference System. Provides a near-twin institutional model to NGS for managing a national spatial reference framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/noaageodesy
• Facebookfacebook.com/NOAAGeodesy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/noaangy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-geodetic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Geodetic