Layers
The HERE Map Content catalog organizes map data by several versioned layers. A single catalog version number is assigned to the entire catalog. When HERE updates the catalog, its version number is incremented. Catalog layers and partitions can be retrieved by version while preserving consistency between all published content. This allows you to select and process only the data of interest, or to process only specific changes within a layer. For information on using versioned layers, see Layers in theData User Guide
The layers in the HERE Map Content catalog can be thematically grouped as follows:
- Roads layers
- Lanes layers
- Places layers
- Buildings layers
- Cartography layers
- Administrative Areas layers
- Rules & Regulations layers
- Addressing & Postal layers
- Visuals map-references layers

The following sections provide a logical diagram and a table summarizing the layers for each layer group in the HERE Map Content catalog.
Roads Layers


Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
ADAS Attributes | Contains height, slope, curvature, and heading attribution for the road network. | adas-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Advanced Navigation Attributes | Contains road attributes for advanced routing and guidance/navigation functionality, bound to the Topology & Geometry layer using SegmentAnchors. | advanced-navigation-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Bicycle Attributes | The Bicycle Attributes layer includes specific attribution applicable to the road network for bicycling, to enable bicycle routing, map display and route guidance. | bicycle-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Complex Road Attributes | Complex Road Attributes provides cartographic representations of simple features grouped into aggregated Complex Features for purposes of generalizing geometry. | complex-road-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Distance Markers | The Distance Markers layer publishes sequentially numbered markers placed along roads at regular intervals that serve as reference location signs. | distance-markers | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Pedestrian Attributes (Japan Specific) | Attributes layer includes specific attribution applicable to the road network for pedestrian, to enable pedestrian routing, map display and route guidance. | pedestrian-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Recreational Vehicle Attributes | The Recreational Vehicles Attributes layer provides warning signs and restriction information, which are specific to Recreational Vehicles, leading to increased safety, stress reduction for drivers, and improved ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) information | recreational-vehicle-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Road Attributes | Contains basic road attributes for map-rendering and track-and-trace functionality, bound to the Topology and Geometry layer using SegmentAnchors. | road-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Road Topology & Geometry | Contains the road Topology graph (and corresponding geometry) modeled as Nodes (points at intersections) connected by Segments (2D polylines). | topology-geometry | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Sign Text | The Sign Text layer publishes textual and graphic information posted on signs along roads. | sign-text | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Street Names | Contains street names and the concept of a "Street" formed by road segments connected in series. | street-names | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Toll Cost | The Toll Cost layer publishes a set of features for calculating fees collected at toll roads. | toll-cost | application/x-protobuf | Generic – based on Toll System Identifier |
Traffic Patterns | The Traffic Patterns layer provides usual traffic speeds for every road segment in the map across 83 countries, for each day of the week and 5-minute segment of the day. | traffic-patterns | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Truck Attributes | Contains specific restrictions applicable to the road network for medium and heavy commercial vehicles such as trucks. | truck-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Lanes Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Lane Geometry | Contains lane centerline (vehicle path) geometry, topology by lane-to-lane connectors and road centerline references. | lane-geometry | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Lane Group | Contains groups of associated lane centerline and lane boundary objects as well as a quality indicator and road centerline references. | lane-groups | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Lane Boundary Geometry | Contains lane boundary geometry. | lane-boundary-geometry | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Lane Boundary Attributes | Contains lane boundary attributes using lane anchors. | lane-boundary-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Lane Attributes | Contains lane attributes as well as applicable lane boundary references (published by Lane Boundaries layer). | lane-attributes | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Places Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations | The Electric Vehicle Charging Stations layer publishes Electric Vehicle Charging Stations with additional information and specifications for the charging station. | electric-vehicle-charging-stations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Fueling Stations | The Fueling Stations layer publishes fueling/petrol stations with the available fuel types at each location. | here-fueling-stations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Places | Contains a global and comprehensive set of places and attributes in a broad range of categories. | here-places | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Places for HERE Essential Map | Places for HERE Essential Map is a built-in layer that contains a sub-set of Places categories and includes location, name, address, phone number and parent-child relations between places. | here-places-essential-map | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Places Metadata | Contains Places category, chain and food type descriptions in various languages. | places-metadata | application/x-protobuf | Generic - single “all” partition |
Truck Service Locations | Publishes "trucking" related Places categories such as truck parking, petrol stations, rest areas etc. Also relevant attributes for these places such as availability of Diesel, Truck Wash, Pay at Pump, High Canopy etc. | here-truck-service-locations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Warning Locations | The HERE Warning Locations layer publishes different types of Safety Cameras and so-called Black Spot locations. | warning-locations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Buildings Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
3D Buildings | Contains 3D physical structure of buildings including height, ground elevation, building type and display class. | 3d-buildings | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Building Footprints | Represents the outlines of the base of buildings or man-made structures which can be used for enhanced map display. Building polygons may be aggregated into a grouped structure. | building-footprints | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Building Metadata | Contains building type descriptions published in 2D/3D building layers. | building-metadata | application/x-protobuf | Generic - single “all” partition |
Cartography Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Annotations | The Annotations layer contains annotation information. | annotations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Cartography | Contains linear and polygonal cartographic features used for map rendering. (e.g., railways, water features, and parks). Administrative boundaries and building footprints are not included. | cartography | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Cartography Metadata | Contains cartographic feature type descriptions in the Cartography layer. | cartography-metadata | application/x-protobuf | Generic - single “all” partition |
Administrative Areas Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Administrative Location Index | The Administrative Location Index layer provides HERE Tile IDs for various locations published by the HERE Map Content catalog (Administrative Places layer). | indexed-locations | application/x-protobuf | Generic - based on ISO Country Code |
Administrative Locations | The Administrative Locations layer publishes point locations for administrative areas and includes the drive-to location as well as the polygonal boundary (when existing) of the administrative feature. Entities in this layer are related to entities in Administrative Places layer. | administrative-locations | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Administrative Places | Contains Place-related content - including names of places and the following types of properties: countries (e.g., local currency), administration (e.g., time zones, daylight saving time), and zones (e.g., government codes). This content is duplicated in each tile where it exists. | administrative-places | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Administrative Place Profiles | Contains map attributes/values defined by administrative area and corresponding admin name and ID, as opposed to spatially. | administrative-place-profiles | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Rules & Regulations Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Environmental Zones | The Environmental Zones layer publishes area-restrictions & regulations based on environmental criteria. | environmental-zones | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Flag Images | The Flag Images layer publishes images of flags in .png format. This enables the flag of a country or other administrative area to be displayed when a vehicle enters administrative area. These images are referenced in the Vehicle Regulations layer. | flag-images | application/zip | Generic – based on ISO country code |
Vehicle Regulations | The HERE Vehicle Regulations layer publishes admin-based driving rules that apply to all vehicle types. This content creates the ability to display administrative and country-specific driving rules (e.g., default speed limits), legal requirements (e.g., blood alcohol limit) and general country information (e.g., driving side) at border crossings. | vehicle-regulations | application/x-protobuf | Generic – based on Administrative Area Identifier |
Commercial Vehicle Regulations Layer | HERE Commercial Vehicle Regulations provides administrative-wide rules/regulations, which are applicable to trucks and transport vehicles. | commercial vehicle regulation | application/x-protobuf | Generic |
Addressing & Postal Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Address Locations | The Address Locations layer contains point locations for addresses (Point Address) and additional detailed addresses within a building (Micro Point Address) such as apartment, floor or suite. | address-locations | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Postal Area Boundaries | The Postal Area Boundaries layer publishes postal area boundary polygons and centroids of these postal areas. Postal area boundaries are available as non-generalized boundaries (with water holes) and generalized boundaries (without water holes). | postal-area-boundaries | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Postal Code Points | The Postal Code Points layer represents center points of address ranges and postal code areas. The layer includes the postal code, the centroid of the postal code, and a reference to the administrative area. | postal-code-points | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Visuals (Map-references) Layers

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
2D Landmarks | HERE 2D Landmarks are two dimensional representations of significant architectural structures. The 2D Landmarks layer publishes the main attributes of the 2D Landmarks. The actual 2D Landmark files are published in a separate HERE Map Content catalog that will be available soon. | landmarks-2d | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) - based on reference geometry |
3D Landmarks | HERE 3D Landmarks are 3D models of prominent landmarks with photorealistic facades such as historic buildings, tourist attractions, high-rise buildings and transportation hubs. The 3D Landmarks layer publishes the main attributes of the 3D Landmarks. The actual models are published in separate HERE Map Content catalog that will be available soon. | landmarks-3d | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) - based on reference geometry |
Generalized Junctions & Signs | Map-references layer publishing which 2D Generalized Junction and 2D Generalized Sign template files apply for selected intersections of the road network. Can be instantiated for a given path through a decision point. The template files are published in a separate HERE Map Content catalog. | generalized-junctions-signs | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Other Layers (By Display Name)

Display Name | Description | Layer ID (Links to HERE portal) | Content Type | Partitioning |
---|---|---|---|---|
Enhanced Buildings | Contains scored feature associations (e.g., associations among Places, buildings, and tenant spaces). It also contains goemetry for tenant spaces. | enhanced-buildings | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |
Parking Areas | Contains parking area geometry and scored associations to other map features (e.g., places, addresses, etc.) | parking-areas | application/x-protobuf | HERE Tile ( level 12 ) |