Esri's World Elevation 3D and Hillshade Layers Updates including Maxar's Precision3D (June 2025)

ArcGIS Living Atlas provide foundational elevation layers for all ArcGIS users to consume in their maps, scenes, and applications. Terrain3D is a default global elevation surface in scenes in clients such as ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online. Similarly, World Hillshade provides a default relief background in various basemaps (such as Topographic, Terrain with Labels) that are available across the ArcGIS system. These global layers are compiled using the best available datasets from open data sources, Esri Community Maps contributors, and commercial data providers.

Last year in June 2024, Esri started integrating Maxar’s Precision3D data in elevation layers and added approx. 27 million sq kms (~10.4 million sq miles) area in parts of the globe (see previous announcement). In continuation to that, we are adding ~ 6 million sq kms new data from Maxar bringing the total coverage to ~ 33 million sq kms as shown in the map below.

Along with Maxar Precision3D, this release also includes a few lidar derived high-resolution elevation datasets from open data sources as listed below:

• Germany: HVBG’s 1-meter Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) for Hesse state.
• Austria: BEV’s 1-meter DTMs for the entire country.
• United States: Expanded coverage of USGS 3DEP 1-meter lidar DTMs, adding approximately 402,100 square kilometers.
• Canada: NRCan’s 1-meter High-Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) with over 750,000 square kilometers of new data.

Let’s see a few enhancements in World Hillshade and Terrain3D with Maxar Precision3D 50 cm. The 3D buildings in these examples are from OpenStreetMap 3D Buildings, which includes buildings from multiple data sources.

Esri will keep improving the World Elevation Layers and derived information products with more high-resolution content from Maxar, open data sources, and Community Maps contributors.

To see the coverage of various other data sources comprising the World Elevation services, check out the World Elevation Coverage Map.

You can help in improving these services by contributing high-resolution elevation data to Living Atlas of the World. To participate and learn more, check out the Esri Community Maps for Elevation program.