diff --git a/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.ts b/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.ts
index 32406256cbc..8375a165c28 100644
--- a/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.ts
+++ b/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import type {Layer} from '@deck.gl/core';
 export type TileLoadDataProps<DataT = any> = {
   requestScheduler: RequestScheduler;
   getData: (props: TileLoadProps) => Promise<DataT>;
+  getPriority: (tile: Tile2DHeader<DataT>) => number;
   onLoad: (tile: Tile2DHeader<DataT>) => void;
   onError: (error: any, tile: Tile2DHeader<DataT>) => void;
 };
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ export class Tile2DHeader<DataT = any> {
   /* eslint-disable max-statements */
   private async _loadData({
     getData,
+    getPriority,
     requestScheduler,
     onLoad,
     onError
@@ -116,10 +118,8 @@ export class Tile2DHeader<DataT = any> {
     this._abortController = new AbortController();
     const {signal} = this._abortController;
 
-    // @ts-expect-error (2345) Argument of type '(tile: any) => 1 | -1' is not assignable ...
-    const requestToken = await requestScheduler.scheduleRequest(this, tile => {
-      return tile.isSelected ? 1 : -1;
-    });
+    // @ts-expect-error (2345) loaders.gl's RequestScheduler callback type is too narrow.
+    const requestToken = await requestScheduler.scheduleRequest(this, getPriority);
 
     if (!requestToken) {
       this._isCancelled = true;
diff --git a/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tileset-2d.ts b/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tileset-2d.ts
index e0752ec13a8..d4d72164f3f 100644
--- a/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tileset-2d.ts
+++ b/modules/geo-layers/src/tileset-2d/tileset-2d.ts
@@ -437,6 +437,43 @@ export class Tileset2D {
 
   private _getCullBounds = memoize(getCullBounds);
 
+  private _getRequestPriority(tile: Tile2DHeader): number {
+    // RequestScheduler loads lower priority values first.
+    const distance = this._getTileDistanceSquared(tile);
+    if (tile.isSelected) {
+      return distance;
+    }
+    if (tile.isVisible) {
+      return 1e6 + distance;
+    }
+    return -1;
+  }
+
+  private _getTileDistanceSquared(tile: Tile2DHeader): number {
+    const {width, height} = this._viewport || {};
+    if (!this._viewport || !width || !height) {
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+    const {bbox} = tile;
+    const center =
+      'west' in bbox
+        ? ([(bbox.west + bbox.east) / 2, (bbox.south + bbox.north) / 2] as [number, number])
+        : ([(bbox.left + bbox.right) / 2, (bbox.top + bbox.bottom) / 2] as [number, number]);
+
+    try {
+      const [x, y] = this._viewport.project(center);
+      if (Number.isFinite(x) && Number.isFinite(y)) {
+        const dx = x - width / 2;
+        const dy = y - height / 2;
+        return dx * dx + dy * dy;
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // Some viewport/tile combinations are not projectable. Keep them valid but lowest priority.
+    }
+    return Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER;
+  }
+
   private _pruneRequests(): void {
     const {maxRequests = 0} = this.opts;
 
@@ -542,6 +579,7 @@ export class Tileset2D {
       // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-floating-promises
       tile.loadData({
         getData: this.opts.getTileData,
+        getPriority: this._getRequestPriority.bind(this),
         requestScheduler: this._requestScheduler,
         onLoad: this.onTileLoad,
         onError: this.opts.onTileError
diff --git a/test/modules/geo-layers/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.spec.ts b/test/modules/geo-layers/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.spec.ts
index 578ea3b595d..a7a7e2124a1 100644
--- a/test/modules/geo-layers/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.spec.ts
+++ b/test/modules/geo-layers/tileset-2d/tile-2d-header.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import {test, expect} from 'vitest';
 import {_Tile2DHeader as Tile2DHeader} from '@deck.gl/geo-layers';
 import {RequestScheduler} from '@loaders.gl/loader-utils';
 
+const getPriority = tile => (tile.isSelected ? 1 : -1);
+
 test('Tile2DHeader', async () => {
   let onTileLoadCalled = false;
   let onTileErrorCalled = false;
@@ -14,6 +16,7 @@ test('Tile2DHeader', async () => {
   let tile2d = new Tile2DHeader({});
   await tile2d.loadData({
     requestScheduler,
+    getPriority,
     getData: () => 'loaded data',
     onLoad: () => (onTileLoadCalled = true),
     onError: () => (onTileErrorCalled = true)
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ test('Tile2DHeader', async () => {
   tile2d = new Tile2DHeader({});
   await tile2d.loadData({
     requestScheduler,
+    getPriority,
     getData: () => {
       throw new Error('getTileData error');
     },
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ test('Tile2DHeader#Cancel request if not selected', async () => {
   const requestScheduler = new RequestScheduler({throttleRequests: true, maxRequests: 1});
   const opts = {
     requestScheduler,
+    getPriority,
     getData: () => tileRequestCount++,
     onLoad: () => onTileLoadCalled++,
     onError: () => onTileErrorCalled++
@@ -66,6 +71,35 @@ test('Tile2DHeader#Cancel request if not selected', async () => {
   expect(onTileLoadCalled === 1 && onTileErrorCalled === 0, 'Callbacks invoked').toBeTruthy();
 });
 
+test('Tile2DHeader#request priority', async () => {
+  const requestOrder: string[] = [];
+  const requestScheduler = new RequestScheduler({throttleRequests: true, maxRequests: 1});
+  const opts = {
+    requestScheduler,
+    getPriority: tile => (tile.id === 'center' ? 0 : 10),
+    getData: ({id}) => {
+      requestOrder.push(id);
+      return id;
+    },
+    onLoad: () => {},
+    onError: () => {}
+  };
+
+  const edgeTile = new Tile2DHeader({});
+  edgeTile.id = 'edge';
+  edgeTile.isSelected = true;
+  const centerTile = new Tile2DHeader({});
+  centerTile.id = 'center';
+  centerTile.isSelected = true;
+
+  const edgeLoader = edgeTile.loadData(opts);
+  const centerLoader = centerTile.loadData(opts);
+  await edgeLoader;
+  await centerLoader;
+
+  expect(requestOrder, 'lower request priority values load first').toEqual(['center', 'edge']);
+});
+
 test('Tile2DHeader#abort', async () => {
   const requestScheduler = new RequestScheduler({throttleRequests: true, maxRequests: 1});
   let onTileLoadCalled = false;
@@ -73,6 +107,7 @@ test('Tile2DHeader#abort', async () => {
 
   const opts = {
     requestScheduler,
+    getPriority,
     getData: () => null,
     onLoad: () => (onTileLoadCalled = true),
     onError: () => (onTileErrorCalled = true)
@@ -104,6 +139,7 @@ test('Tile2DHeader#reload', async () => {
   let onTileErrorCalled = 0;
   const opts = {
     requestScheduler,
+    getPriority,
     onLoad: () => onTileLoadCalled++,
     onError: () => onTileErrorCalled++
   };