What is GIS? GIS is an acronym for geographic information systems or geographic information science.  Most commonly, people think of maps when they hear the term GIS.  However GIS is much more than just maps.  GIS helps us answer questions and solve problems by looking at data in a way that is quickly understood and easily shared.

THE POWER OF PLACE:  Hidden in most data is a geographical component: an address, postal code, census block, city, county, or latitude/longitude coordinate.  Computer information systems and their data, combined with the geographic component, often provide information otherwise left undetected.  GIS allows users to view, understand, interpret, and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patters, and trends.  Often the results are displayed using maps, reports, or charts.

What is GIS used for?  Often it is used for rather simple tasks.  For example, GIS could be used to simply show wetlands on a map, help a home owner find their approximate property boundaries and dimensions, find the name and location of the nearest park, or help a potential property purchaser find out how the prospective property is zoned.  Other times GIS is used to answer more complex questions or understand more complex situations.  For example, using GIS, we can find the number and names of people that could potentially need aid in a community that was in the path of a recent tornado, find the best location for placing or expanding a business, or determine how many and which specific properties are potentially affected by a 100 year flood event.