NAD83(NSRS2007) – EPSG:4759
May 14,2026

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Introduction

NAD83(NSRS2007) – EPSG:4759 is a realization of the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), released by the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) in 2007 as part of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). It succeeded NAD83(HARN) and preceded NAD83(2011). NSRS2007 was a nationwide re-adjustment that incorporated GPS observations from approximately 1,800 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) and thousands of survey markers, achieving consistent accuracy of approximately 0.01–0.05 meters across the entire United States. Unlike earlier realizations, NSRS2007 provided a single, unified, nationwide adjustment rather than state-by-state HARN adjustments.

Coordinate System Composition

NAD83(NSRS2007) – EPSG:4759 consists of the following main components:

Origin: Earth's center of mass, fixed to the North American tectonic plate.
Reference Ellipsoid: GRS 1980 (semi-major axis: 6,378,137.0 m; flattening: 1/298.257222101).
Coordinate Representation: Two-dimensional geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude).
Reference Network: Based on ~1,800 CORS stations and thousands of passive control marks, adjusted in a single nationwide solution.
Plate Fixing: Fixed to the North American plate – coordinates do not drift with tectonic motion.

Pros

Unified nationwide accuracy: Unlike the state-by-state HARN adjustments, NSRS2007 used a single large-scale least-squares adjustment, eliminating boundary discontinuities and ensuring consistent 0.01–0.05 meter precision across the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and territories.
Plate-fixed stability: Because NAD83(NSRS2007) is fixed to the North American tectonic plate, coordinates of survey markers and infrastructure do not continuously drift over time. This simplifies database management, legal boundary descriptions, and cadastral records, as no epoch tracking or time-dependent corrections are required.
Extensive GPS integration: The adjustment incorporated data from approximately 1,800 CORS stations, providing a dense, high-quality reference network that significantly improved positional reliability compared to earlier realizations.
Large legacy data footprint: A vast amount of GIS data collected by U.S. federal agencies (e.g., USGS, Census Bureau), state governments, and local municipalities from 2007 through the early 2010s is stored in NSRS2007, ensuring ongoing relevance for historical analysis and legacy system maintenance.
Standard software support: EPSG:4759 is included as a standard coordinate system in all major GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS), surveying software, and geodetic tools, making it immediately accessible for practical work.

Cons

Two-dimensional only: EPSG:4759 defines only geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude) without a height component. For applications requiring vertical information, a separate vertical datum such as NAVD88 must be combined, adding complexity to 3D workflows.
Regional scope limitation: NSRS2007 is strictly limited to North America (United States, Canada, and Caribbean territories). It is unsuitable for global datasets, international applications, or mapping projects that cross into South America or other tectonic plates.
Not aligned with global frames: NAD83(NSRS2007) differs from global frames such as WGS84 and ITRF by approximately 1–2 meters, with the exact offset varying by geographic location and observation epoch. Accurate integration with GPS data (which natively uses WGS84/ITRF) requires transformation parameters, introducing additional complexity and potential error.
Superseded by NAD83(2011): NSRS2007 is no longer the latest realization. NAD83(2011) (EPSG:6318) offers improved accuracy, better alignment with ITRF, and incorporates more recent GPS data. The NGS recommends using NAD83(2011) for new high-precision projects.
Epoch-dependent transformations to global frames: Because the North American plate moves approximately 2–3 cm/year relative to ITRF/WGS84, the transformation between NSRS2007 and global frames is technically epoch-dependent. For centimeter-level accuracy, the observation epoch must be known and applied, which can be burdensome for users unfamiliar with time-dependent coordinate frameworks.
Impending replacement by modernized NSRS: The NGS plans to replace all NAD83 realizations (including NSRS2007) with a new, entirely modernized NSRS based on ITRF and incorporating a new vertical datum (e.g., Pacific-Pacific 2022). This future transition will eventually render NSRS2007 obsolete for new work.

Application Scenario

NAD83(HARN) is widely used in U.S. state and local government mapping, cadastral surveying, land records, transportation networks, and utility infrastructure. It remains common in legacy GIS datasets from the 1990s–2000s and is valued for its plate-fixed stability in legal boundary mapping. Although newer realizations are recommended for high-precision modern work, NAD83(HARN) continues to play an important role in legacy system integration and regulatory compliance.