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Census
Geography
Resources for Understanding Census Bureau Geography provides links to diagrams, glossaries, criteria, codes, and other resources that explain and clarify geographic concepts used by the Census Bureau.
Census 2010 Geographic Products and Information provides links to Census 2010 databases, maps, and other products that contain information related to geography.
Maps and Mapping Resources
- American FactFinder (U.S. Census Bureau)
- The data dissemination tool for accessing and mapping Census 2010 and other census data. Provides thematic maps, showing data, and reference maps, showing boundaries.
- Census Bureau Map Products
- Links to publicly available printed maps and free, downloadable maps in PDF format. Ordering information for printed maps
and PDF maps on CD-ROM and DVD is also provided.
- Geography Division Map Gallery
- Samples of past map products designed and made available by the United States Census Bureau.
- Guide to Census Tract Resources
- Locate 1990 and 2000 census tracts, obtain census tract outline maps, and create thematic maps illustrating the boundaries, names, codes, and numbers of census tracts.
- On-Line Mapping Resources
- Census tracts, obtain census tract outline maps, and create thematic maps illustrating the boundaries, names, codes, and numbers of census tracts.
- U.S. Gazetteer
- Gazetteer files for counties, county subdivisions (minor civil divisions/census county divisions), and places for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Files were extracted from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles from 1990, 2000, and 2010.
TIGER Products
The TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencng) system files are a digital database of geographic features, such as roads, railroads, rivers, lakes, legal boundaries, census statistical boundaries, etc. covering the entire United States. The data base contains information about these features such as their location in latitude and longitude, the name, the type of feature, address ranges for most streets, the geographic relationship to other features, and other related information. They are the public product created from the Census Bureau's TIGER database.
Note that these files are not graphic images of maps, but rather digital data describing geographic features. To make use of these data, you must have mapping or Geographic Information System (GIS) software that can import TIGER/Line data.
With the appropriate software, a user can produce maps ranging in detail from a neighborhood street map to a map of the United States. Many local governments have used the TIGER/Line data in applications requiring digital street maps. Also, the private sector has used TIGER/Line data to create products that produce maps for government, business and the general public.
- TIGER/Line®Shapefiles
- Spatial extracts from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER database, containing features such as roads, railroads, rivers, as well as legal and statistical geographic areas. These are made available to the public for no charge and are typically used to provide the digital map base for a Geographic Information System or for mapping software. TIGER/Line Shapefiles do not include demographic data, but they contain geographic entity codes that can be linked to the Census Bureau’s demographic data, available on American FactFinder.
- TIGERweb
- A set of web-based Geography Division applications and services that allow users to view and query boundaries and attribute information for geographic entities that are stored in the MAF/TIGER database. Does not include demographic data, but contains geographic entity codes that can be linked to the Census Bureau’s demographic data, available on American FactFinder.
- Cartographic Boundary Files (U.S. Census Bureau)
- The boundary files available here are selected generalized extracts from the Census Bureau’s MAF/TIGER geographic database and are designed specifically for small scale (limited detail) thematic mapping. These are not map images. They have been developed for various internal Census Bureau projects and have been made available here to the general public on an "as is" basis.
- KML - Prototype Files
- KML is a file format used to display geographic data in a tool such as Google Earth or Google Maps. KML is an international standard maintained by the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC). Download files, or give suggestions on how the product can be improved.
LandView® 6
A viewer for the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Census Bureau, and U.S. Geological Survey Data and Maps.
LandView has its roots in the CAMEO software (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations). CAMEO was developed by the EPA and the NOAA to facilitate the implementation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. This far-reaching law requires communities to develop emergency response plans addressing chemical hazards and to make available to the public information on chemical hazards in the community.
This product contains both database management software and mapping software used in the CAMEO system to create a simple computer mapping system involving two programs - MARPLOT® and LandView.
The MARPLOT mapping program allows users to map Census 2000 legal and statistical areas, EPA Envirofact sites, and USGS Geographic Names Information (GNIS) features.
The LandView database system allows users to retrieve Census 2000 demographic and housing data, EPA Envirofacts data, and USGS GNIS information. The GNIS contains over 1.2 million records which show the official federally recognized geographic names for all known places, features, and areas in the United States that are identified by a proper name.
Geographic Programs of the Census
The Census Bureau works with tribal, state, county, and local officials, as well as coordinating agencies such as regional planning commissions to implement a number of programs designed to review geographic information.
- Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS)
- This
annual survey collects boundary and area change information about
legally defined geographic areas such as cities, towns, counties,
municipios and barrios in Puerto Rico, federally recognized American
Indian reservations, and Hawaiian home lands. The BAS also provides an
opportunity for participants to review the names and geographic
relationships for these areas.
- Local Update of Census Addresses Program (LUCA)
- This
program offers tribal, state and local governments the opportunity to
review and update the census address list for their community.
- Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP)
- This program enables coordinating agencies such as Regional Planning Commissions and Councils of Governments to identify and propose changes to the boundaries for census tracts, block groups, census designated places, and census county divisions in accordance with Census Bureau criteria.
- Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA)
- Microdata provides sample information associated with a specific housing unit or individual without
personal identifying information. Data are are published by the census as Public Use Microdata Sample
(PUMS).
- School District Review Program
- Provides state officials an opportunity to review the Census Bureau's school district information and to provide updates and corrections.
- Tribal Statistical Areas Program (TSAP)
- This
program enables federally recognized tribes (and designated state
officials for state-based tribal statistical areas) to identify and
propose changes to the boundaries for American Indian and Alaska Native
statistical areas for the reporting of census data.
