This article presents an overview of the Human Genome Project. The goals of the program are outlined; the genetic, physical, and DNA sequence maps that will be its products are defined; the brief origins of the project are traced; the management structure of the US Human Genome Project, in which the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health participate as partners, is outlined; international dimensions are discussed; the excellent progress to date with respect to each of the eight scientific goals is reported; and the projected impact of the project on biology and medicine is discussed.