The Largest Database of United States Historic Aerial Imagery!

Historic Aerials hosts the largest online collection of historical aerial imagery, topographic maps, and modern aerials covering the United States. Our interactive viewer lets you explore any location—zoom in, pan across, and switch between decades—to see how it has changed over time. With imagery dating back to the 1920s, you can visually “go back in time” and watch cities, farms, and landscapes evolve. Use our compare, overlay, and topographic tools to view change with the same ease as a modern map app.

Simply enter an address or location in our viewer to browse available imagery. Use the timeline to switch between the available years of aerial images and topographical maps.

Subscribers gain access to additional features like an ad-free experience, less intrusive watermarks, and full-screen viewing.

The controls can be found on the left side of the map viewer. We recommend watching our tutorial videos on using tools.

Downloads are available in JPG, PNG, and GeoTIFF formats. The resolution and clarity you see in the viewer reflect the original quality of the aerial photo—what you see on screen is what you’ll get in your download. GeoTIFFs include embedded georeferencing data, allowing them to align automatically within GIS or CAD software.

Yes. We offer high-quality prints through our aerial survey partner in 9-inch, 18-inch, and 36-inch sizes. Each print is produced using the same imagery available online. View print options and pricing →

Every image on Historic Aerials has been carefully processed and quality-checked by our team in Tempe, Arizona. Dates come directly from the original film scans or associated flight indexes. While spatial accuracy varies slightly depending on the original source and year, all imagery is orthorectified and georeferenced to ensure consistent, reliable placement across decades.

Digital downloads are available immediately after purchase. Print orders are fulfilled by our third-party printing partner and typically arrive within 10–14 days.

Yes. All of our imagery is georeferenced in orthomosaic format, so GeoTIFF files can be imported directly into GIS and CAD applications. While we don’t provide formal certification, customers needing an affidavit of authenticity for legal purposes can generate and submit one using the purchased image data.

Subscriptions are available on monthly or 6-month plans and renew automatically until canceled. Subscribers enjoy an ad-free experience, minimal watermarks, full-screen viewing, and a monthly credit allowance for downloads. Four subscription tiers are available—Individual, Small Business (3 users), Business (10 users), and Enterprise (25 users)—each offering a different number of credits. View subscription options →

Credit totals vary by plan and automatically refresh each month on your renewal date. If you consistently run low on credits, consider upgrading to the next tier. At this time, additional credits cannot be purchased separately

Purchased imagery is yours to use for personal or professional projects, reports, or exhibits. Redistribution or resale—commercial or otherwise—is not permitted without written authorization from Historic Aerials.

Our archive is massive and growing constantly. While we can’t guarantee special requests, we do consider user feedback when prioritizing new areas for processing.

If imagery appears missing, you may be viewing the edge of a flight mosaic—coverage often varies from year to year. We rarely remove imagery, so it’s more likely your location wasn’t photographed that year.

For possible data errors or missing files, please contact us, and our team will review it. As for quality, all imagery displayed on the site is shown at its maximum available resolution (typically 1-meter per pixel or better). Downloads are identical to what you see in the viewer—only the watermark is removed.

You can cancel anytime by logging into your account and visiting your Dashboard → Subscription page. There, you can view your plan details, update payment information, and cancel your subscription. When you cancel, you’ll see the final date your plan remains active. Confirm to finalize the cancellation.