README for “Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present” dataset. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor] 2025-05-29 ---------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS TO DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1520832 B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year): https://doi.org/10.21949/1522145 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’s (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset contains the geographic boundaries of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. It provides users with transportation planning locations, sizes and names and is intended for metropolitan area multimodal transportation planning and programming. ---------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. General Information B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information C. Data and Related File Overview D. Methodological Information E. Data-Specific Information for: Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset contains the geographic boundaries of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. It provides users with transportation planning locations, sizes and names and is intended for metropolitan area multimodal transportation planning and programming. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1520832 3. Authorship Information: Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Contact: ExecSecretariat.FHWA@dot.gov Data Distributor Contact Information Name: National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD) Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of Spatial Analysis and Visualization (OSAV) Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Email: ntad@dot.gov 4. Date of data collection and update interval: This dataset is updated as needed. 5. Geographic location of data collection: United States of America 6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ---------------------------------------------------------------- B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Recommended citation for the data: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present [datasets]. https://doi.org/10.21949/1520832 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: These data are in the Public Domain. 2. Was data derived from another source?: Yes. State DOTs or MPOs submit their MPO boundaries to USDOT FHWA who reviews it according to Metropolitan Planning Organization regulations. 3.This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research' Version 1.1 << https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559 >> and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website << https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647 >>, in effect and current as of December 03, 2020. ---------------------------------------------------------------- C. DATA & RELATED FILE OVERVIEW ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. File List for the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset A. Filename: MPO_NTAD2003_NTADPresent.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_MPO_DMP_20250529.pdf Short description: A PDF file containing the Data Management Plan that was created for current and future management of the data and associated files. C. Filename: bts_NTAD_MPO_README_20250529.txt Short description: The README.txt file that includes human-readable information about the data, variable definitions, contact information, and other contextual information. The file you are reading now. 2. File List for the MPO_NTAD2003_NTADPresent.zip collection. A. Filename: NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_MPO_XXXX*.zip or NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_MPO_XXXX*.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year respectively. 3a. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_MPO_XXXX*.zip collection. A. Filename: mpo.shp or mpo_boundaries*.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. B. Filename: mpo.txt, mpo.htm, and mpo.shp.xml, or mpo_boundaries*.shp.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc. 3b. File List for the NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_MPO_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection A. Filename: NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_MPO_XXXX_XX_XX.gdb.zip Short description: A file geodatabase containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) 2003-Present dataset. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. B. Filename: Metro_Planning_Organizations.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. C. Filename: MPO.xlsx Short description: Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Boundaries are compiled through a collaboration of state, MPO and federal agencies. State DOTs or MPOs submit their MPO boundaries to USDOT FHWA who reviews it according to Metropolitan Planning Organization regulations. The data is then published by FHWA. 2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data: The data and documentation files can be opened with Esri ArcMap and any GIS software package. ---------------------------------------------------------------- E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) data table This dataset is updated as needed. Dataset Manager is contacted to verify changes to data resulting in NTAD update. The metadata is updated in the same manner. For the most recent data, please visit the NTAD catalog at https://doi.org/10.21949/1522145 A. Number of variables (columns): The data dictionary found in (PDF documentation) provides definitions for the variables B. Data Dictionary/Variable List: Because of the large number of variables, please refer to the Data Dictionary found within the file MPO.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_MPO_20250529_README.txt file was originally created on 2021-03-22 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov [Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:] 2021-03-22: Original file created 2025-05-29: Revised document, including data descriptions and file organization.