[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":151},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-\u002Fblog\u002F2024-satellite-imagery-refresh\u002F":3,"related-blog-\u002Fblog\u002F2024-satellite-imagery-refresh\u002F":122},{"id":4,"title":5,"abstract":6,"author":6,"body":7,"description":106,"excerpt":6,"extension":107,"head":6,"image":6,"keywords":108,"meta":114,"modified":6,"navigation":115,"path":116,"proficiencyLevel":6,"published":117,"rawbody":118,"schemaOrg":6,"schemaType":6,"seo":119,"stem":120,"__hash__":121},"blog\u002Fblog\u002F2024-satellite-imagery-refresh.md","2024 Satellite Imagery Map Refresh",null,{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":94},"minimark",[10,14,18,21,31,36,39,42,45,49,52,57,60,64,67,71,74],[11,12,5],"h1",{"id":13},"_2024-satellite-imagery-map-refresh",[15,16,17],"p",{},"Today, Stadia Maps unveils significant enhancements to our Alidade Satellite style and other imagery offerings. This\nrefresh brings vibrant global color, expands 50cm resolution coverage, introduces 30cm high-resolution imagery in major\ncities, and refreshes imagery across our entire map portfolio.",[15,19,20],{},"People use imagery maps every day to understand a location in its “true” visual context: hikers verify trails in\nstunning clarity, families find their next home—with a porch and lots of trees for the summer, and travelers plan their\nvacation surroundings in vivid detail. Our latest improvements mean your visual context is not just updated—it's richer,\nclearer, and more precise.",[22,23],"cross-platform-map",{":center":24,":scroll-zoom":25,":use-search":25,":use-theme-switcher":26,":zoom":27,"id":28,"style":29,"theme":30},"[172,-43.2]","true","false","7","map","height: 400px;","alidade_satellite",[32,33,35],"h2",{"id":34},"a-sharper-world-enhanced-imagery","A Sharper World: Enhanced Imagery",[15,37,38],{},"When we first rolled out our imagery maps last year, we were determined to provide a solid baseline level of detail. We\nstarted off with a mix of 1.5m resolution (zoom level 16) for the whole world, and then added 50cm resolution (zoom\nlevel 18) over about 23 million square kilometers. Now, we're stepping it up by including an additional 4 million square\nkilometers of 50cm imagery. This update means you get to see more of the world in better detail, from bustling city\ncorners to the quietest, most remote spots.",[15,40,41],{},"But why stop there? On top of that, we've added over a quarter million square kilometers of 30cm resolution imagery,\nbringing things into even sharper focus at zoom level 19 and above. It’s just the beginning – we're on a mission to keep\nboosting our maps with even higher resolution imagery.",[15,43,44],{},"All in all, with nearly 5 million square kilometers of improved imagery, there's a lot more for us to explore and enjoy.\nWhether you're planning a hike, finding your next home, or just curious about a new place, the world just got a bit\ncloser to your fingertips.",[32,46,48],{"id":47},"vivid-colors-fresh-views","Vivid Colors & Fresh Views",[15,50,51],{},"In imagery maps resolution matters, but the magic really happens in the details—the colors, the clarity, and the\nfreshness of an image. That's why this update isn't just about adding more pixels; it's about making every pixel count.",[53,54,56],"h3",{"id":55},"consistency-is-key","Consistency is key.",[15,58,59],{},"We've made the colors across all zoom levels more consistent, ensuring that no matter how far in or out you're zooming,\nthe experience remains seamless. This means better data overlays and a smoother experience for everyone. At higher zoom\nlevels, we've continued to prefer “true colors” that showcase the unique beauty of each location, balancing regional\nflair with a cohesive global palette.",[53,61,63],{"id":62},"keeping-things-fresh","Keeping Things Fresh",[15,65,66],{},"We're dedicated to keeping our imagery as fresh and current as possible. This update phases out our oldest imagery—some\ndating back to 2019—with updated imagery. Our oldest imagery is now only a couple of years old. While it isn’t possible\nto keep an imagery map as up-to-date as we do our street maps, we will keep updating pixels all the time, because the\nfresher the imagery, the higher the quality of the map you get to explore.",[32,68,70],{"id":69},"next-steps","Next Steps",[15,72,73],{},"You can get started with our imagery basemap today. Sign up for the new Standard or Professional plan, and turn the\nearth into your canvas today.",[75,76,77,88],"ul",{},[78,79,80],"li",{},[81,82,87],"a",{"href":83,"rel":84,"target":86},"https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Fmap-styles\u002Falidade-satellite\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2024_satellite_refresh&utm_content=get_started_satellite",[85],"external","_blank","Get started in MapLibre, Leaflet, OpenLayers or just about any other mapping library!",[78,89,90],{},[81,91,93],{"href":92},"\u002Fexplore-the-map\u002F#style=alidade_satellite","Explore the new imagery",{"title":95,"searchDepth":96,"depth":96,"links":97},"",4,[98,100,105],{"id":34,"depth":99,"text":35},2,{"id":47,"depth":99,"text":48,"children":101},[102,104],{"id":55,"depth":103,"text":56},3,{"id":62,"depth":103,"text":63},{"id":69,"depth":99,"text":70},"The 2024 imagery refresh brings vibrant global color, expands 50cm resolution coverage, introduces 30cm high-resolution  imagery in major cities, and refreshes imagery across our entire map portfolio.","md",[109,110,111,112,113],"Satellite Imagery","Aerial Photography","Map Update","High Resolution","Alidade Satellite",{},true,"\u002Fblog\u002F2024-satellite-imagery-refresh","2024-04-12","---\ndescription: >-\n  The 2024 imagery refresh brings vibrant global color, expands 50cm resolution coverage, introduces 30cm high-resolution \n  imagery in major cities, and refreshes imagery across our entire map portfolio.\npublished: 2024-04-12\nkeywords:\n  - Satellite Imagery\n  - Aerial Photography\n  - Map Update\n  - High Resolution\n  - Alidade Satellite\n---\n\n# 2024 Satellite Imagery Map Refresh\n\nToday, Stadia Maps unveils significant enhancements to our Alidade Satellite style and other imagery offerings. This\nrefresh brings vibrant global color, expands 50cm resolution coverage, introduces 30cm high-resolution imagery in major\ncities, and refreshes imagery across our entire map portfolio.\n\nPeople use imagery maps every day to understand a location in its “true” visual context: hikers verify trails in\nstunning clarity, families find their next home—with a porch and lots of trees for the summer, and travelers plan their\nvacation surroundings in vivid detail. Our latest improvements mean your visual context is not just updated—it's richer,\nclearer, and more precise.\n\n::cross-platform-map{id=\"map\" style=\"height: 400px;\"}\n---\ncenter: [172, -43.2]\nscroll-zoom: true\nzoom: 7\ntheme: alidade_satellite\nuse-theme-switcher: false\nuse-search: true\n---\n::\n\n## A Sharper World: Enhanced Imagery\n\nWhen we first rolled out our imagery maps last year, we were determined to provide a solid baseline level of detail. We\nstarted off with a mix of 1.5m resolution (zoom level 16) for the whole world, and then added 50cm resolution (zoom\nlevel 18) over about 23 million square kilometers. Now, we're stepping it up by including an additional 4 million square\nkilometers of 50cm imagery. This update means you get to see more of the world in better detail, from bustling city\ncorners to the quietest, most remote spots.\n\nBut why stop there? On top of that, we've added over a quarter million square kilometers of 30cm resolution imagery,\nbringing things into even sharper focus at zoom level 19 and above. It’s just the beginning – we're on a mission to keep\nboosting our maps with even higher resolution imagery.\n\nAll in all, with nearly 5 million square kilometers of improved imagery, there's a lot more for us to explore and enjoy.\nWhether you're planning a hike, finding your next home, or just curious about a new place, the world just got a bit\ncloser to your fingertips.\n\n## Vivid Colors & Fresh Views\n\nIn imagery maps resolution matters, but the magic really happens in the details—the colors, the clarity, and the\nfreshness of an image. That's why this update isn't just about adding more pixels; it's about making every pixel count.\n\n### Consistency is key.\n\nWe've made the colors across all zoom levels more consistent, ensuring that no matter how far in or out you're zooming,\nthe experience remains seamless. This means better data overlays and a smoother experience for everyone. At higher zoom\nlevels, we've continued to prefer “true colors” that showcase the unique beauty of each location, balancing regional\nflair with a cohesive global palette.\n\n### Keeping Things Fresh\n\nWe're dedicated to keeping our imagery as fresh and current as possible. This update phases out our oldest imagery—some\ndating back to 2019—with updated imagery. Our oldest imagery is now only a couple of years old. While it isn’t possible\nto keep an imagery map as up-to-date as we do our street maps, we will keep updating pixels all the time, because the\nfresher the imagery, the higher the quality of the map you get to explore.\n\n## Next Steps\n\nYou can get started with our imagery basemap today. Sign up for the new Standard or Professional plan, and turn the \nearth into your canvas today.\n\n* [Get started in MapLibre, Leaflet, OpenLayers or just about any other mapping library!](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Fmap-styles\u002Falidade-satellite\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2024_satellite_refresh&utm_content=get_started_satellite)\n* [Explore the new imagery](\u002Fexplore-the-map\u002F#style=alidade_satellite)\n",{"title":5,"description":106},"blog\u002F2024-satellite-imagery-refresh","8nxeKlg7_w5Anfqayd1vWGdhGf1yM7QEtyhCHsXdezU",[123,130,137],{"title":124,"description":125,"path":126,"published":127,"keywords":128,"rawbody":129},"2026 Satellite Imagery Update: 37 Million km² at 30cm Resolution","The 2026 Alidade Satellite update expands 30cm-resolution coverage to 37 million km², adds seamless country-wide mosaics for Japan, Nigeria, Mexico, the UAE, and Eastern South Africa, and refreshes our global 1.5m baseline from the latest SPOT data.","\u002Fblog\u002F2026-satellite-imagery-update","2026-04-27",[109,110,111,112,113],"---\ndescription: >-\n  The 2026 Alidade Satellite update expands 30cm-resolution coverage to 37 million km²,\n  adds seamless country-wide mosaics for Japan, Nigeria, Mexico, the UAE, and Eastern\n  South Africa, and refreshes our global 1.5m baseline from the latest SPOT data.\npublished: 2026-04-27\nkeywords:\n  - Satellite Imagery\n  - Aerial Photography\n  - Map Update\n  - High Resolution\n  - Alidade Satellite\n---\n\n# 2026 Satellite Imagery Update: 37 Million km² at 30cm Resolution\n\nIf you've built anything on top of satellite imagery, you know the pain of inconsistent resolution. You zoom into one region and get crisp rooftops. Pan over to the next and it's a blurry patchwork from three years ago. That inconsistency isn't just cosmetic: it erodes trust in whatever you're building on top of it.\n\nWe regularly refresh our [Alidade Satellite](https:\u002F\u002Fstadiamaps.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fmaps\u002Fmap-styles\u002Fsatellite-imagery\u002F) imagery as new high-resolution data becomes available from Airbus. This update is one of our most significant, expanding both the depth and freshness of our coverage.\n\n::cross-platform-map{id=\"map\" style=\"height: 400px;\"}\n---\ncenter: [139.6934, 35.6857]\nscroll-zoom: true\nzoom: 16.5\ntheme: alidade_satellite\nuse-theme-switcher: false\nuse-search: true\n---\n::\n\n## 30cm Coverage, Scaled\n\nWe now offer 37 million km² of 30cm-resolution satellite imagery, enough detail to distinguish individual vehicles, building footprints, and infrastructure at high zoom levels. For applications like urban planning tools, insurance assessments, or logistics platforms, this is the difference between useful and decorative.\n\nThis release also adds seamless 30cm country-wide mosaics for Japan, Nigeria, Mexico, the UAE, and Eastern South Africa. \"Seamless\" matters here: no visible tile boundaries, no abrupt shifts in color or season. Just consistent, high-resolution coverage across the entire country.\n\n## A Fresher Global Baseline\n\nBeyond the 30cm expansion, we've completed a full refresh of our 1.5m-resolution dataset covering the Earth's landmasses, derived from the latest SPOT Global layer. Even at lower zoom levels, you're working with current data rather than imagery that's aging out.\n\nFreshness matters as much as resolution. Across our entire dataset, the area-weighted average age is roughly 1.6 years. Nearly two-thirds of our coverage is less than a year old, and only 7% is older than three years. That share continues to shrink with each refresh.\n\nCombined with our [2025 satellite imagery refresh](https:\u002F\u002Fstadiamaps.com\u002Fblog\u002F2025-satellite-imagery-refresh\u002F), every pixel in our dataset is still 1.5m or better, with 37 million km² at 30cm and another 7 million km² at 50cm.\n\n## What This Means for Your Stack\n\nIf you're using Alidade Satellite, these updates are already live. No API changes, no migration. The same tile endpoints now serve fresher, sharper data. Integration works the same way it always has via MapLibre, Leaflet, OpenLayers, or any other mapping library that supports raster tiles.\n\nWe don't track or profile your end users. The imagery is delivered directly, with no behavioral tracking layer between your application and the tiles.\n\n## Try It\n\nThe updated satellite imagery is available now for all Stadia Maps customers. If you're new, [create a free account](https:\u002F\u002Fclient.stadiamaps.com\u002Fsignup\u002F) and see the difference at zoom level 18.\n",{"title":131,"description":132,"path":133,"published":134,"keywords":135,"rawbody":136},"2025 Satellite Imagery Map Refresh","The 2025 imagery refresh extends 30cm resolution coverage, enhances mosaics at 30cm, 50cm, and 1.5m, and renews imagery throughout our complete map portfolio.","\u002Fblog\u002F2025-satellite-imagery-refresh","2025-03-07",[109,110,111,112,113],"---\ndescription: >-\n  The 2025 imagery refresh extends 30cm resolution coverage, enhances mosaics at 30cm, 50cm, and 1.5m, and renews\n  imagery throughout our complete map portfolio.\npublished: 2025-03-07\nkeywords:\n  - Satellite Imagery\n  - Aerial Photography\n  - Map Update\n  - High Resolution\n  - Alidade Satellite\n---\n\n# 2025 Satellite Imagery Map Refresh\n\nToday, Stadia Maps unveils the latest update and enhancements to our [Alidade Satellite](https:\u002F\u002Fstadiamaps.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fmaps\u002Fmap-styles\u002Fsatellite-imagery\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2025_satellite_refresh&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=product_reference) imagery.\n\nThis refresh includes expansion of our 30cm data, better mosaicking across multiple resolutions around the globe,\nand refreshes the imagery in our entire map portfolio.\n\nPeople use imagery maps every day to understand a location in its “true” visual context: hikers verify trails in\nstunning clarity, families find their next home—with a porch and lots of trees for the summer, and travelers plan their\nvacation surroundings in vivid detail.\n\nOur latest enhancements deliver visual context that’s not just updated—but richer, sharper, and more precise, tailored\nfor every application.\n\n::cross-platform-map{id=\"map\" style=\"height: 400px;\"}\n---\ncenter: [172, -43.2]\nscroll-zoom: true\nzoom: 7\ntheme: alidade_satellite\nuse-theme-switcher: false\nuse-search: true\n---\n::\n\n## Higher Definition and Clarity for the Entire World\n\nNow, with 10x more 30cm resolution imagery available, you can see small objects, structures, and surface details like\nnever before.\n\nWe've also expanded our mosaicked data and now offer 20% coverage at 30cm resolution, 54% at 50cm, and full coverage\n(100%) at 1.5m, providing even more seamless imagery for larger geographic areas.\n\n### Keeping Things Fresh\n\nWe're dedicated to keeping our imagery as fresh and current as possible.\nOur oldest imagery is now only a couple of years old.\nWe will continue updating pixels all the time, providing you with the freshest, highest quality basemaps possible.\n\n## Next Steps\n\n- You can get started with our [Alidade Satellite](https:\u002F\u002Fstadiamaps.com\u002Fproducts\u002Fmaps\u002Fmap-styles\u002Fsatellite-imagery\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2025_satellite_refresh&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=next_steps) imagery basemap today:\n    - Our latest imagery is already available to Enterprise, Professional, and Standard subscribers.\n    - Current customers not already on our Standard or Professional plans can [quickly upgrade using our guide](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Fupgrading-subscription\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2025_satellite_refresh&utm_content=next_steps&utm_medium=blog)\n    to gain access now.\n    - If you aren't already using Stadia Maps, [create an account](https:\u002F\u002Fclient.stadiamaps.com\u002Fsignup\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=2025_satellite_refresh&utm_content=next_steps) and get started with a 14-day free trial to our\n    Professional plan.\n- [Get started in MapLibre, Leaflet, OpenLayers or just about any other mapping library!](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Fmap-styles\u002Falidade-satellite\u002F?utm_source=marketing_site&utm_campaign=2025_satellite_refresh&utm_content=get_started_satellite&utm_medium=blog)\n- [Explore the new imagery](\u002Fexplore-the-map\u002F#style=alidade_satellite)\n- Follow Stadia Maps on [Mastodon](https:\u002F\u002Fen.osm.town\u002F@stadiamaps), [Twitter\u002FX](https:\u002F\u002Fx.com\u002F@stadiamaps),\n  [BlueSky](https:\u002F\u002Fbsky.app\u002Fprofile\u002Fstadiamaps.com) or [LinkedIn](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fcompany\u002Fstadia-maps\u002F), or\n  sign-up for our [newsletter](https:\u002F\u002Feepurl.com\u002Fgs51fD) to hear about exciting developments first.",{"title":138,"description":139,"path":140,"published":141,"keywords":142,"rawbody":150},"Why Basic OpenStreetMap Routing Needs Real-Time Traffic","OpenStreetMap is a world-class road network, but without real-time traffic it's a static dataset. Here's why algorithmic ETAs fall apart in production logistics and how Stadia Maps closes the gap with TomTom-powered routing.","\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-osm-routing-needs-real-time-traffic","2026-05-12",[143,144,145,146,147,148,149],"Routing","Navigation","OpenStreetMap","Traffic Data","Matrix Routing","Logistics","TomTom","---\ndescription: >-\n  OpenStreetMap is a world-class road network, but without real-time traffic\n  it's a static dataset. Here's why algorithmic ETAs fall apart in production\n  logistics and how Stadia Maps closes the gap with TomTom-powered routing.\nexcerpt: >-\n  OpenStreetMap is great geography, but without real-time traffic it falls\n  short on ETAs. Stadia Maps closes the gap with TomTom-powered routing.\npublished: \"2026-05-12\"\nkeywords:\n  - Routing\n  - Navigation\n  - OpenStreetMap\n  - Traffic Data\n  - Matrix Routing\n  - Logistics\n  - TomTom\nauthor:\n  name: \"Ian Wagner\"\n  jobTitle: \"Founder & President \u002F COO\"\n  sameAs:\n    - \"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fian-w-wagner\u002F\"\n---\n\n# Why Basic OpenStreetMap Routing Needs Real-Time Traffic\n\n> OpenStreetMap (OSM) provides a world-class geographic foundation, but it remains a static dataset. Without real-time traffic integration, routing engines must rely on algorithmic proxies—like road class and legal speed limits—which often lead to unreliable ETAs and logistics bottlenecks.\n\n## The Problem\n\n[OpenStreetMap (OSM)](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.openstreetmap.org\u002Fabout) is one of the world's leading road maps, but a persistent gap remains between fixed geographic data and a [live navigation experience](\u002Fproducts\u002Frouting-navigation\u002F). Without dedicated traffic data, Estimated Times of Arrival (ETAs) are essentially educated guesses. While OSM is excellent at mapping the world's road network, a static dataset cannot capture the actual driving conditions at this exact moment. In enterprise-grade logistics, the lack of live data is often the first significant technical hurdle.\n\n## The Limits of Algorithmic Guesswork\n\nIn the absence of real-time data, a routing engine must estimate travel speeds based on tags and a few common proxies:\n\n- **Road Class:** Assuming a motorway is always faster than a residential street.\n- **Tagged Speed Limits:** Using the legal maximum as the baseline (when the tag even exists).\n- **Network Density:** Adjusting for urban vs. rural environments.\n- **Time of Day:** Using low-granularity buckets like \"daytime\" and \"nighttime.\"\n\nReal-world data show wild variances compared to these static estimates. Road class is a blunt instrument for predicting speed. Missing speed limit tags in open datasets force routing engines to rely on broad averages, resulting in unreliable ETAs and logistics delays. Rule-based algorithms are also notoriously bad at predicting choke points because open datasets don't account for traffic light timings, congestion near specific exits, or the \"invisible\" friction of a busy intersection.\n\n## The Stadia Maps Difference\n\nTo move from guesswork to precision, we integrated [TomTom's global traffic data](https:\u002F\u002Fwww.tomtom.com\u002Fproducts\u002Ftraffic-apis\u002F) directly into the [Stadia Maps routing engine](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Frouting\u002F). High-resolution historical profiles and live feeds allow for accurate, real-time routing. We provide this through three key technical pillars:\n\n1. **Global Coverage:** Access to consistent data across more countries than almost any other vendor.\n2. **Rapid Updates:** A traffic latency of approximately two minutes allows our API to suggest alternate routes almost as soon as a wreck occurs.\n3. **Historical Profiles:** Deep granularity forms the backbone of predictive routing. High-resolution historical data enables accurate, time-dependent routing in advance, allowing you to plan a route for Tuesday at 8:00 AM based on what might happen on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM.\n\n## Fleet Intelligence at Scale\n\nFor dispatch, optimization, and fleet operations, [matrix routing](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Frouting\u002Ftime-distance-matrix\u002F) (calculating the time and distance between many origins and destinations) is the engine's most critical function.\n\nThe Stadia Maps infrastructure supports matrix requests that are significantly larger than most competitors allow on standard plans. By integrating traffic data directly into these large-scale requests, we eliminate the need for developers to split requests into smaller chunks, reducing unnecessary complexity and latency.\n\nDevelopers maintain full agency over their implementation. We provide the fastest route based on live conditions, but the frequency of re-routing remains entirely in your control. Choice of revalidation frequency puts you in charge of the trade-off between real-time accuracy and [scaling costs](\u002Fpricing\u002F), ensuring your bills remain as predictable as your ETAs.\n\n---\n\n[Create a free account](https:\u002F\u002Fclient.stadiamaps.com\u002Fsignup\u002F) to start building with real-time traffic and high-performance routing today. Our [documentation](https:\u002F\u002Fdocs.stadiamaps.com\u002Frouting\u002F) provides everything you need to integrate TomTom-powered precision into your existing OSM workflow.\n",1778676026056]