For two years, the MAGION--4 satellite collected a unique data set of cusp-like plasma observations at middle to high altitudes as a part of the INTERBALL project. To compare with low-altitude cusp studies, we map our observations of cusp-like plasma along magnetic field lines to the 835 km altitude of the DMSP orbit. We use the Tsyganenko 1996 model of the magnetospheric magnetic field for the mapping, taking into account actual solar wind and IMF parameters from the WIND observations. The footprint positions show a substantial latitudinal dependence on the dipole tilt angle. The dependence can be fitted by a line with a slope of 0.15¿ MLAT per 1¿ of tilt. This slope increases for observations made in the vicinity of the magnetopause (0.16¿ MLAT per 1¿ of tilt) and during periods of southward interplanetary magnetic field (0.17¿ MLAT per 1¿ of tilt). Very similar results were obtained for mapping using the Tsyganenko 1989 model. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union