Have you ever wanted to see what a place looked like several years or decades ago? Google Earth Pro historical imagery allows you to go back through available imagery and observe how landscapes, roads, buildings, settlements, and other features have changed over time.
The process is simple: find your location, activate Historical Imagery, and use the timeline to select an available date. However, historical imagery is not available for every location or every year, so the dates you see depend on the imagery available for that area.
What Is Historical Imagery in Google Earth Pro?
Historical imagery allows you to view older satellite or aerial imagery of a location instead of only the current default image.
This can be useful for:
- Studying urban expansion
- Comparing changes in land use
- Observing new roads and buildings
- Examining environmental changes
- Researching historical landscapes
- Supporting preliminary GIS and mapping work
Google explains that imagery comes from different providers and may have different acquisition dates. Some images may also represent mosaics collected over a period rather than on a single day.
If you also need to learn image overlay on top of Google Earth, see our guide on How to Add an Image Overlay in Google Earth Pro, where we help to understand the correlation between image and coordinate of a place.
How to Find Historical Imagery in Google Earth Pro
Step 1: Open Google Earth Pro
Open the desktop version of Google Earth Pro on your computer.
Historical imagery is accessed through Google Earth Pro's historical-imagery function. In Google Earth Pro, you can activate it from the View menu or the clock-shaped Historical Imagery button in the toolbar.
Step 2: Search for Your Location
Use the Search box to find the area you want to investigate.
You can search for a:
- City
- Village
- Street
- Landmark
- Property
- Geographic location
After Google Earth moves to the location, zoom in until you can clearly identify the features you want to compare.
Step 3: Activate Historical Imagery
From the top menu, select:
View → Historical Imagery
You can also use the clock icon on the toolbar.
A timeline will appear near the top of the map. The available dates indicate when imagery can be viewed for the selected area.
Step 4: Move the Time Slider
Drag the timeline backwards to explore older imagery.
For example, you might compare:
2024 → 2018 → 2010 → 2000
The actual years available will vary depending on your location.
Google notes that you can zoom in or out to change the range of dates displayed on the timeline.
Once you have completed this process, you may also want to learn How to Create a Layout Map Using Google Earth Pro, if you need to understand the map and print in hardcopy.
How to Compare Old and New Imagery
Historical imagery becomes especially useful when comparing two different periods.
For example, suppose you are studying the expansion of a city. Select an older image and observe:
- The extent of built-up areas
- New roads
- Changes in vegetation
- Expansion of settlements
- Changes to water bodies
Then move the slider toward a more recent image and compare the same location.
Because the imagery changes as you move through the timeline, you can visually identify how the landscape developed over time.
How to Check the Imagery Date
Do not assume that the year shown represents an exact photograph date for every pixel on the screen.
Google explains that some imagery is made from multiple satellite or aerial photographs collected over different dates. In such cases, Google may display a date range, and the imagery date can vary as you move around the map.
This is important when using historical imagery for research or analysis.
Can You Find Any Year You Want?
No. Google Earth does not provide historical imagery for every location and every year.
If a particular year does not appear on the timeline, it generally means that imagery for that date is not available in Google's historical imagery collection for that location. The available dates vary considerably between areas.
Therefore, do not claim that Google Earth provides continuous yearly imagery for every location.
How to Save a Historical Image
After selecting the historical date and setting up your preferred view, you can use Google Earth Pro's Save Image function.
Go to:
File → Save → Save Image
Google Earth Pro allows you to configure map options and image resolution before saving the map.
If you intend to use the image for a report or presentation, check the imagery date and keep a record of the location and period represented.
Important Limitations
Historical imagery is valuable, but it has limitations.
Coverage varies: Some locations have many historical images while others have only a few.
Dates may not represent a single acquisition: Some imagery is a mosaic collected over multiple days or months.
Imagery is not real-time: Google states that its imagery is not live.
Do not treat imagery as a legal survey: Satellite and aerial imagery should not automatically be considered authoritative property-boundary or surveying evidence.
For additional information and the latest guidance, see the official Google Earth Help documentation on Google Earth imagery and historical imagery guidance
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