README for “Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005” 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/10.21949/1520801 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 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). The Federal Aid Urbanized Area Boundaries databaseis a geographic database of Federal-aid boundaries for urban areas with a population greater than 50,000. The database includes boundaries for urban areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 (FHWA) 1995-2005 [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 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). The Federal Aid Urbanized Area Boundaries databaseis a geographic database of Federal-aid boundaries for urban areas with a population greater than 50,000. The database includes boundaries for urban areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1520801 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: ntad@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 not receiving updates. 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]. Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 [datasets]. https://doi.org/10.21949/1520801 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 (FHWA) 1995-2005 dataset A. Filename: FHWA_Urban_Areas_NTAD1995_NTAD2005.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_FHWA_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_FHWA_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 FHWA_Urban_Areas_NTAD1995_NTAD2005.zip collection. A. Filename: NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_FHWA_Urban_Areas.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year. 3. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_FHWA_Urban_Areas.zip collection. A. Filename: FHWA_UZA.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Urban Areas (FHWA) 1995-2005 dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. B. Filename: FHWA_UZA.MET or fhwa_uza.txt, fhwa_uza.txt.htm, and fhwa_uza.txt.shp.xml Short description: Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: N/A 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 (FHWA) data table This dataset is not receiving updates. 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 FHWA_Urban_Areas.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_FHWA_Urban_Areas_20250529_README.txt file was originally created on 2021-09-07 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov [Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:] 2021-09-07: Original file created 2025-05-29: Revised document, including data descriptions and file organization.