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Organizations: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

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  • 2014_division_500k

    Divisions are groupings of States within a census geographic region, established by the Census Bureau for the presentation of census data. The current nine divisions (East North Central, East South Central, Middle Atlantic, Mountain, New England, Pacific, South Atlantic, West North Central, and West South Central) are intended to represent relatively homogeneous areas that are subdivisions of the four census geographic regions.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2015_anrc_500k

    Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs) were created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which is federal legislation (Pub. L. 92-203, 85 Stat. 688 (1971); 43 U.S.C. 1602 et seq. (2000)) enacted in 1971, as a "Regional Corporation" and organized under the laws of the State of Alaska to conduct both the for-profit and non-profit affairs of Alaska Natives within a defined region of Alaska. For the Census Bureau, ANRCs are considered legal geographic entities. Twelve ANRCs cover the entire state of Alaska except for the area within the Annette Island Reserve (a federally recognized American Indian reservation under the governmental authority of the Metlakatla Indian Community). A thirteenth ANRC represents Alaska Natives who do not live in Alaska and do not identify with any of the twelve corporations. The Census Bureau does not provide data for this thirteenth ANRC because it has no defined geographic extent and thus it does not appear in the Cartographic Boundary Files. The Census Bureau offers representatives of the twelve non-profit ANRCs in Alaska the opportunity to review and update the ANRC boundaries before each decennial census.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2014_division_5m

    Divisions are groupings of States within a census geographic region, established by the Census Bureau for the presentation of census data. The current nine divisions (East North Central, East South Central, Middle Atlantic, Mountain, New England, Pacific, South Atlantic, West North Central, and West South Central) are intended to represent relatively homogeneous areas that are subdivisions of the four census geographic regions.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2014_county_within_ua_500k

    The records in this file allow users to map the parts of Urban Areas that overlap a particular county. After each decennial census, the Census Bureau delineates urban areas that represent densely developed territory, encompassing residential, commercial, and other nonresidential urban land uses. In general, this territory consists of areas of high population density and urban land use resulting in a representation of the "urban footprint." There are two types of urban areas: urbanized areas (UAs) that contain 50,000 or more people and urban clusters (UCs) that contain at least 2,500 people, but fewer than 50,000 people (except in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam which each contain urban clusters with populations greater than 50,000). Each urban area is identified by a 5-character numeric census code that may contain leading zeroes. The primary legal divisions of most states are termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the equivalent entities are the organized boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and for the unorganized area, census areas. The latter are delineated cooperatively for statistical purposes by the State of Alaska and the Census Bureau. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia), there are one or more incorporated places that are independent of any county organization and thus constitute primary divisions of their states. These incorporated places are known as independent cities and are treated as equivalent entities for purposes of data presentation. The District of Columbia and Guam have no primary divisions, and each area is considered an equivalent entity for purposes of data presentation. The Census Bureau treats the following entities as equivalents of counties for purposes of data presentation: Municipios in Puerto Rico, Districts and Islands in American Samoa, Municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The entire area of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas is covered by counties or equivalent entities. The boundaries for counties and equivalent entities are as of January 1, 2010.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2014_sldl_500k

    SLDL stands for State Legislative District Lower Chamber. State Legislative Districts (SLDs) are the areas from which members are elected to State legislatures. The SLDs embody the upper (senate) and lower (house) chambers of the state legislature. Nebraska has a unicameral legislature and the District of Columbia has a single council, both of which the Census Bureau treats as upper-chamber legislative areas for the purpose of data presentation; there are no data by SLDL for either Nebraska or the District of Columbia. A unique three-character census code, identified by State participants, is assigned to each SLD within a state. In Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Puerto Rico, the Redistricting Data Program (RDP) participant did not define the SLDs to cover all of the state or state equivalent area. In these areas with no SLDs defined, the code "ZZZ" has been assigned, which is treated as a single SLD for purposes of data presentation. The boundaries of the 2014 State legislative districts were provided by state-level participants through the RDP and reflect the districts used to elect members in or prior to the November 2014 election.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2014_county_5m

    The primary legal divisions of most states are termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the equivalent entities are the organized boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and for the unorganized area, census areas. The latter are delineated cooperatively for statistical purposes by the State of Alaska and the Census Bureau. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia), there are one or more incorporated places that are independent of any county organization and thus constitute primary divisions of their states. These incorporated places are known as independent cities and are treated as equivalent entities for purposes of data presentation. The District of Columbia and Guam have no primary divisions, and each area is considered an equivalent entity for purposes of data presentation. The Census Bureau treats the following entities as equivalents of counties for purposes of data presentation: Municipios in Puerto Rico, Districts and Islands in American Samoa, Municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The entire area of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas is covered by counties or equivalent entities.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_anrc_500

    Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs) were created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which is federal legislation (Pub. L. 92-203, 85 Stat. 688 (1971); 43 U.S.C. 1602 et seq. (2000)) enacted in 1971, as a "Regional Corporation" and organized under the laws of the State of Alaska to conduct both the for-profit and non-profit affairs of Alaska Natives within a defined region of Alaska. For the Census Bureau, ANRCs are considered legal geographic entities. Twelve ANRCs cover the entire state of Alaska except for the area within the Annette Island Reserve (a federally recognized American Indian reservation under the governmental authority of the Metlakatla Indian Community). A thirteenth ANRC represents Alaska Natives who do not live in Alaska and do not identify with any of the twelve corporations. The Census Bureau does not provide data for this thirteenth ANRC because it has no defined geographic extent and thus it does not appear in the Cartographic Boundary Files. The Census Bureau offers representatives of the twelve non-profit ANRCs in Alaska the opportunity to review and update the ANRC boundaries before each decennial census.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_county_20

    The primary legal divisions of most states are termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the equivalent entities are the organized boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and for the unorganized area, census areas. The latter are delineated cooperatively for statistical purposes by the State of Alaska and the Census Bureau. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia), there are one or more incorporated places that are independent of any county organization and thus constitute primary divisions of their states. These incorporated places are known as independent cities and are treated as equivalent entities for purposes of data presentation. The District of Columbia and Guam have no primary divisions, and each area is considered an equivalent entity for purposes of data presentation. The Census Bureau treats the following entities as equivalents of counties for purposes of data presentation: Municipios in Puerto Rico, Districts and Islands in American Samoa, Municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The entire area of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas is covered by counties or equivalent entities.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_concity_500

    A consolidated city is a unit of local government for which the functions of an incorporated place and its county or minor civil division (MCD) have merged. This action results in both the primary incorporated place and the county or MCD continuing to exist as legal entities, even though the county or MCD performs few or no governmental functions and has few or no elected officials. Where this occurs, and where one or more other incorporated places in the county or MCD continue to function as separate governments, even though they have been included in the consolidated government, the primary incorporated place is referred to as a consolidated city. The Census Bureau classifies the separately incorporated places within the consolidated city as place entities and creates a separate place (balance) record for the portion of the consolidated city not within any other place.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_anrc_500

    Alaska Native Regional Corporations (ANRCs) were created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which is federal legislation (Pub. L. 92-203, 85 Stat. 688 (1971); 43 U.S.C. 1602 et seq. (2000)) enacted in 1971, as a "Regional Corporation" and organized under the laws of the State of Alaska to conduct both the for-profit and non-profit affairs of Alaska Natives within a defined region of Alaska. For the Census Bureau, ANRCs are considered legal geographic entities. Twelve ANRCs cover the entire state of Alaska except for the area within the Annette Island Reserve (a federally recognized American Indian reservation under the governmental authority of the Metlakatla Indian Community). A thirteenth ANRC represents Alaska Natives who do not live in Alaska and do not identify with any of the twelve corporations. The Census Bureau does not provide data for this thirteenth ANRC because it has no defined geographic extent and thus it does not appear in the Cartographic Boundary Files. The Census Bureau offers representatives of the twelve non-profit ANRCs in Alaska the opportunity to review and update the ANRC boundaries before each decennial census.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_place_500

    The cartographic boundary files include both incorporated places (legal entities) and census designated places or CDPs (statistical entities). An incorporated place is established to provide governmental functions for a concentration of people as opposed to a minor civil division (MCD), which generally is created to provide services or administer an area without regard, necessarily, to population. Places always nest within a state, but may extend across county and county subdivision boundaries. An incorporated place usually is a city, town, village, or borough, but can have other legal descriptions. CDPs are delineated for the decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places. CDPs are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name, but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located. The boundaries for CDPs often are defined in partnership with state, local, and/or tribal officials and usually coincide with visible features or the boundary of an adjacent incorporated place or another legal entity. CDP boundaries often change from one decennial census to the next with changes in the settlement pattern and development; a CDP with the same name as in an earlier census does not necessarily have the same boundary. The only population/housing size requirement for CDPs is that they must contain some housing and population.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_region_500

    Regions are four groupings of States (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West) established by the Census Bureau in 1942 for the presentation of census data.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_county_within_ua_500

    After each decennial census, the Census Bureau delineates urban areas that represent densely developed territory, encompassing residential, commercial, and other nonresidential urban land uses. In general, this territory consists of areas of high population density and urban land use resulting in a representation of the "urban footprint." There are two types of urban areas: urbanized areas (UAs) that contain 50,000 or more people and urban clusters (UCs) that contain at least 2,500 people, but fewer than 50,000 people (except in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam which each contain urban clusters with populations greater than 50,000). Each urban area is identified by a 5-character numeric census code that may contain leading zeroes. <br /> The primary legal divisions of most states are termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the equivalent entities are the organized boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and for the unorganized area, census areas. The latter are delineated cooperatively for statistical purposes by the State of Alaska and the Census Bureau. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia), there are one or more incorporated places that are independent of any county organization and thus constitute primary divisions of their states. These incorporated places are known as independent cities and are treated as equivalent entities for purposes of data presentation. The District of Columbia and Guam have no primary divisions, and each area is considered an equivalent entity for purposes of data presentation. The Census Bureau treats the following entities as equivalents of counties for purposes of data presentation: Municipios in Puerto Rico, Districts and Islands in American Samoa, Municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The entire area of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas is covered by counties or equivalent entities. <br /> The boundaries for counties and equivalent entities are as of January 1, 2010.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_county_5

    The primary legal divisions of most states are termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as parishes. In Alaska, which has no counties, the equivalent entities are the organized boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and for the unorganized area, census areas. The latter are delineated cooperatively for statistical purposes by the State of Alaska and the Census Bureau. In four states (Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia), there are one or more incorporated places that are independent of any county organization and thus constitute primary divisions of their states. These incorporated places are known as independent cities and are treated as equivalent entities for purposes of data presentation. The District of Columbia and Guam have no primary divisions, and each area is considered an equivalent entity for purposes of data presentation. The Census Bureau treats the following entities as equivalents of counties for purposes of data presentation: Municipios in Puerto Rico, Districts and Islands in American Samoa, Municipalities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The entire area of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas is covered by counties or equivalent entities.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_kml_sldl_500

    SLDL stands for State Legislative District Lower Chamber. State Legislative Districts (SLDs) are the areas from which members are elected to state legislatures. The SLDs embody the upper (senate) and lower (house) chambers of the state legislature. Nebraska has a unicameral legislature and the District of Columbia has a single council, both of which the Census Bureau treats as upper-chamber legislative areas for the purpose of data presentation; there are no data by SLDL for either Nebraska or the District of Columbia. A unique three-character census code, identified by state participants, is assigned to each SLD within a state. In Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Puerto Rico, the Redistricting Data Program (RDP) participant did not define the SLDs to cover all of the state or state equivalent area. In these areas with no SLDs defined, the code "ZZZ" has been assigned, which is treated as a single SLD for purposes of data presentation. The boundaries of the 2014 state legislative districts were provided by state-level participants through the RDP and reflect the districts used to elect members in or prior to the November 2014 election.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_zcta510

    ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are approximate area representations of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ZIP Code service areas that the Census Bureau creates to present statistical data for each decennial census. The Census Bureau delineates ZCTA boundaries for the United States, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands once each decade following the decennial census. Data users should not use ZCTAs to identify the official USPS ZIP Code for mail delivery. The USPS makes periodic changes to ZIP Codes to support more efficient mail delivery. The Census Bureau uses tabulation blocks as the basis for defining each ZCTA. Tabulation blocks are assigned to a ZCTA based on the most frequently occurring ZIP Code for the addresses contained within that block. The most frequently occurring ZIP Code also becomes the five-digit numeric code of the ZCTA. These codes may contain leading zeros. Blocks that do not contain addresses but are surrounded by a single ZCTA (enclaves) are assigned to the surrounding ZCTA. Because the Census Bureau only uses the most frequently occurring ZIP Code to assign blocks, a ZCTA may not exist for every USPS ZIP Code. Some ZIP Codes may not have a matching ZCTA because too few addresses were associated with the specific ZIP Code or the ZIP Code was not the most frequently occurring ZIP Code within any of the blocks where it exists. The ZCTA boundaries in this release are those delineated following the 2010 Census.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_arealm

    The Census Bureau includes landmarks in the MTDB for locating special features and to help enumerators during field operations. Some of the more common landmark types include area landmarks such as airports, cemeteries, parks, schools, and churches and other religious institutions. The Census Bureau added landmark features to MTDB on an as-needed basis and made no attempt to ensure that all instances of a particular feature were included. The presence or absence of a landmark such as a hospital or prison does not mean that the living quarters associated with that landmark were geocoded to that census tabulation block or excluded from the census enumeration. The Area Landmark Shapefile does not include military installations or water bodies because they each appear in their own separate shapefiles, MIL.shp and AREAWATER.shp respectively.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_linearwater

    Linear Water Features includes single-line drainage water features and artificial path features that run through double-line drainage features such as rivers and streams, and serve as a linear representation of these features. The artificial path features may correspond to those in the USGS National Hydrographic Dataset (NHD). However, in many cases the features do not match NHD equivalent feature and will not carry the NHD metadata codes. These features have a MAF/TIGER Feature Classification Code (MTFCC) beginning with an "H" to indicate the super class of Hydrographic Features.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_addr

    The Address Ranges Relationship File (ADDR.dbf) contains the attributes of each address range. Each address range applies to a single edge and has a unique address range identifier (ARID) value. The edge to which an address range applies can be determined by linking the address range to the All Lines Shapefile (EDGES.shp) using the permanent topological edge identifier (TLID) attribute. Multiple address ranges can apply to the same edge since an edge can have multiple address ranges. Note that the most inclusive address range associated with each side of a street edge already appears in the All Lines Shapefile (EDGES.shp). The TIGER/Line Files contain potential address ranges, not individual addresses. The term "address range" refers to the collection of all possible structure numbers from the first structure number to the last structure number and all numbers of a specified parity in between along an edge side relative to the direction in which the edge is coded. The address ranges in the TIGER/Line Files are potential ranges that include the full range of possible structure numbers even though the actual structures may not exist.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

  • 2016_ttract

    A tribal census tract is a relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a federally recognized American Indian reservation and/or off-reservation trust land, delineated by the American Indian tribal government and/or the Census Bureau for the purpose of presenting demographic data. For the 2010 Census, tribal census tracts are defined independently of the standard county-based census tract delineation. For federally recognized American Indian Tribes with reservations and/or off-reservation trust lands with a population less than 2,400, a single tribal census tract is defined. Qualifying areas with a population greater than 2,400 could define additional tribal census tracts within their area. The tribal census tract codes for the 2010 Census are six characters long with a leading "T" alphabetic character followed by a five-digit numeric code, for example, T01000, which translates as tribal census tract 10. Tribal block groups nest within tribal census tracts. Since individual tabulation blocks are defined within the standard State-county-census tract geographic hierarchy, a tribal census tract can contain seemingly duplicate block numbers, thus tribal census tracts cannot be used to uniquely identify census tabulation blocks for the 2010 Census. The boundaries of tribal census tracts are those delineated through the Tribal Statistical Areas Program (TSAP) for the 2010 Census.

    — Organization: U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce