README for “Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007” dataset. 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/10.21949/1520794 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset is from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics's (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The United States MSA Boundaries database is a geographic database of metropolitan statistical area boundaries in the United States containing information on location, identification, and size. The database includes boundaries for 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: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset is from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). The United States MSA Boundaries database is a geographic database of metropolitan statistical area boundaries in the United States containing information on location, identification, and size. The database includes boundaries for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1520794 3. Authorship Information: Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington D.C. 20590 Contact: bts@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: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Department of Transportation (DOT) ---------------------------------------------------------------- B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Recommended citation for the data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 [datasets]. https://doi.org/10.21949/1520794 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 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset. A. Filename: Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas_NTAD1995_NTAD2007.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset. File folders are classified first by initial NTAD publication year and secondly by the final year of publication. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_MSA_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_MSA_README_2025-05-29.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 MSA_NTAD1995_NTAD2007.zip. A. Filename: NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas.zip Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year respectively. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. 3. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas.zip collection. A. Filename: MSA_with_attr.shp or msa.shp Short description: A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) 1995-2007 dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx. B. Filename: msa.txt, msa.htm, and msa.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: All state supplied maps were digitized. MSA boundaries were added from TIGER data and topologically integrated. The data were checked for completeness and accuracy and were extracted and reformatted into ASCII data files. These were then converted to ESRI shapefiles. 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 Statistical Areas (MSA) data table This dataset is not receiving updates. 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 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 MSA.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_MSA_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: File revision, including dataset descriptions and file organization