README for “Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present” dataset. U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB); 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/10.21949/1520798 B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year): https://doi.org/10.21949/1522282 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Urban Areas 1997-Present dataset, formerly known as Urbanized Areas, is from the United States Census Bureau (USCB), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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: Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Urban Areas 1997-Present dataset, formerly known as Urbanized Areas, is from the United States Census Bureau (USCB), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. 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. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1520798 3. Authorship Information: Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information Institution: U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB) Address: 4600 Silver Hill Rd., Washington D.C. 20233 Contact: geo.bas@census.gov/ geo.geography@census.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: There are no planned updates to this dataset. 5. Geographic location of data collection: United States of America 6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data: United States Census Bureau (USCB), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) ---------------------------------------------------------------- B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Recommended citation for the data: U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB), U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present [datasets]. https://doi.org/10.21949/1520798 1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data: These data are in the Public Domain. 2. Was data derived from another source?: No. 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 Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present dataset A. Filename: Census_Urban_Areas_NTAD1997_Present.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_Census_Urban_Areas_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_Census_Urban_Areas_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 Census_Urban_Areas_NTAD1997_Present.zip collection. A. Filename: NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Census_Urban_Areas_XXXX.zip, NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Census_Urbanized_Areas_XXXX_XX_XX.zip, or NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Census_Urban_Areas_XXXX_XX_XX.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year respectively. 3a. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Census_Urban_Areas_XXXX*.zip collection. A. Filename: boc_uza.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. B. Filename: boc_uza.txt, boc_uza.htm, and boc_uza.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_Census_Urbanized_Areas_XXXX_XX_XX.zip and NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Census_Urban_Areas_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collections A. Filename: NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Census_Urban_Areas_XXXX_XX_XX.gdb.zip Short description: A file geodatabase containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (Census) 1997-Present dataset. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. B. Filename: Urban_Areas.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. C. Filename: Urbanized_Areas.xlsx Short description: Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: TIGER/Line Shapefiles are extracted from the Census MAF/TIGER database by nation, state, county, and entity. Census MAF/TIGER data for all of the aforementioned geographic entities are then distributed among the shapefiles each containing attributes for line, polygon, or landmark geographic data. 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. Urban Areas (Census) data table There are no planned updates to this dataset. 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/10.21949/1522282 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 Census_Urban_Areas.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_Census_Urban_Areas_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.