Answer: The standard scale for USGS (United States Geological Survey) maps varies depending on the specific map. However, the most common scales used by the USGS range from 1:125,000 to 1:2,500,000, with 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 being the most common.

In addition to the 1:24,000-scale maps, complete topographic coverage of the United States is available at scales of 1:100,000 and 1:250,000. Maps are also available at various other scales. The amount of detail shown on a map is proportionate to the scale of the map: the larger the map scale, the more detail shown.

US Topo maps published as geospatial PDFs are fashioned to conform to these style sheets so that a user can print out a map at the 1:24,000, 1:25,000, or 1:20,000 scale using the dimensions of the traditional standard 7.5-minute quadrangle.

The size of printed topographic maps distributed by the USGS can vary slightly depending on scale, publication date, and latitude. On average: US Topo maps (published after 2008) are 24" wide x 29" high Historical 7.5 Minute topographic maps (published before 2008) are 22" wide x 27" high OnDemand Topo - 7.5 Minute are 24" wide x 29" high