Office of GIS Addressing

Our Mission

To support residents, businesses, and government by developing, maintaining, and providing accurate, current, and cost-effective geospatial information and database management systems using the highest professional standards and ethics.

What is GIS?

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is computer software that connects geographic information, such as where things are located, with descriptive information about those features.

GIS makes it easier to understand, analyze, and share information through interactive digital maps. These maps help users explore geographic data, identify patterns, answer questions, and solve problems.

Why Use GIS?

Like a traditional paper map, a digital map uses points to represent features such as addresses, lines to represent roads, and polygons to represent areas such as rivers. GIS goes further by connecting these features to additional information.

For example, GIS can help answer questions such as:

• How has the population of Charles Town changed over time?
• How does the water level of the Potomac River vary by season?
• How might roads along the Blue Ridge Mountains affect slope stability?
• How many homes are located within the Bullskin Run floodplain?

Digital maps are also interactive. Users can turn individual layers on or off to focus on specific features and examine how different factors relate to one another.

GIS supports a wide range of planning, public safety, infrastructure, and community information needs.