If you want to make changes to default maps in Cities Skylines, this will not work without further ado. To do this, you first have to copy the map files into another directory.

Cities Skylines ships with a handful of default maps, that you can play on right from the start. New maps are also included in every expansion, and you can find them in the installation directory.

In my case I installed all Steam games on hard drive "D". You can find the maps folder in the Steam installation folder under the following path:

D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Cities_Skylines\Files\Maps

Alternatively, you can right-click Cities Skylines in your Steam Library, then click Manage and Browse Local Files. This will open the Cities_Skylines folder in the explorer. From there, you can easily go into the Files and Maps folder.

Maps folder in Cities Skylines

You now have to drag the files into the following folder so that they are displayed in the editor:

C:\Users\*Your Username*\AppData\Local\Colossal Order\Cities_Skylines\Maps

All Cities Skylines Maps- and File-Names

Since many files do not directly reflect the names of the maps, here is an overview of all file names and the associated map names in the game:

Map Name File Name Expansion (DLC)
Diamond Coast Tropical2FINAL.crp -
Grand River Grand River.crp -
Green Plains NorthEurope1FINAL.crp -
Islands SouthEurope1FINAL.crp -
Cliffside Bay Cliffside Bay.crp -
Lagoon Shore Tropical3FINAL.crp -
Foggy Hills Foggy Hills.crp -
Sandy Beach Tropical1FINAL.crp -
Shady Strands SouthEurope2FINAL.crp -
Riverrun NorthEurope2FINAL.crp -
Black Woods NorthEurope3FINAL.crp -
Two Rivers SouthEurope3FINAL.crp -
Icy Islands Winter2Final.crp Snowfall
Frozenshire Winter4Final.crp Snowfall
Snowy Coast Winter1Final.crp Snowfall
Winter Hills Winter5Final.crp Snowfall
Frosty Rivers Winter3Final.crp Snowfall
By The Dam ND By The Dam.crp Natural Disasters
The Archipelago ND Island Hopping.crp Natural Disasters
The Dust Bowl ND Tornado Country.crp Natural Disasters
Floodland ND Floodland.crp Natural Disasters
Prussian Peaks ND Alpine Villages.crp Natural Disasters
Regal Hills MT Fix The Traffic.crp Mass Transit
Arid Plains MT Trains.crp Mass Transit
Seven Lakes MT Ferry Empire.crp Mass Transit
Eden Valley Eden Valley2.crp Green Cities
Garden Rivers Garden Rivers2.crp Green Cities
Lavender Lake Lavender Lake2.crp Green Cities
Mountain Meadows PL Mountain Meadows.crp Parklife
Cavern Coast PL Cavern Coast.crp Parklife
Honu Island PL Honu Island.crp Parklife
Pine Rivers PL Pine Rivers.crp Parklife
Windfield PL Windfield.crp Parklife
Woodgarden IN Woodgarden.crp Industries
Green Peaks IN Green Peaks.crp Industries
Marble Canyon IN Marble Canyon.crp Industries
Pearl Bay IN Pearl Bay.crp Industries
Twin Fjords IN Twin Fjords.crp Industries
Murky Coast CL Murky Coast.crp Campus
Northwood Hills CL Northwood Hills.crp Campus
Roslyn Peninsula CL Roslyn Peninsula.crp Campus
Marin Bay CL Marin Bay.crp Campus
Wolf Creek CL Wolf Creek.crp Campus
Azure Gulf DN Azure Gulf.crp Sunset Harbor
Fisher Enclave DN Fisher Enclave.crp Sunset Harbor
Crater Falls DN Crater Falls.crp Sunset Harbor
Swamplands DN Swamplands.crp Sunset Harbor
Desert Oasis DN Desert Oasis.crp Sunset Harbor

Load Standard Maps in the Map Editor

If you now go to Editors > Map Editor > Load in the main menu, all standard maps (which you also own) can be loaded. In the editor you can make any changes to the map as usual and then save it.

If you've done everything correctly, standard maps can now be edited in the editor.

But why should you even edit the default maps yourself? Here are a few reasons:

  • Some maps don't have all the resources available
  • Some maps have poor highway layout
  • Replacing highway intersections with more effective ones
  • Adding new outside connections (train/ship/plane)
  • Editing of water spawners to build effective Hydro Power Plants
Cities Skylines