README for “National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present” dataset. U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor] 2025-06-09 ---------------------------------------------------------------- LINKS TO DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1403518 B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year): https://doi.org/10.21949/1530050 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY OF DATASET ---------------------------------------------------------------- The National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-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). Congress established a new National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) in 23 U.S.C. 167 to improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) and support several goals. The law required the FHWA Administrator to strategically direct Federal resources and policies toward improved performance of the network. The NHFP provides formula funding apportioned annually to States, for use on the NHFN. The definition of the NHFN is established under 23 U.S.C. 167(c) and consists of four separate highway network components: the PHFS; Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs); Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs); and those portions of the Interstate System that are not part of the PHFS. Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS): This is a network of highways identified as the most critical highway portions of the U.S. freight transportation system determined by measurable and objective national data. The network consists of 41,800 centerlines miles, including 38,014 centerline miles of Interstate and 3,785 centerline miles of non-Interstate roads. Other Interstate portions not on the PHFS: These highways consist of the remaining portion of Interstate roads not included in the PHFS. These routes provide important continuity and access to freight transportation facilities. These portions amount to an estimated 10,265 centerline miles of Interstate, nationwide, and will fluctuate with additions and deletions to the Interstate Highway System. Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs): These are public roads not in an urbanized area which provide access and connection to the PHFS and the Interstate with other important ports, public transportation facilities, or other intermodal freight facilities. Nationwide, there are 5,389 centerline miles designated as CRFCs as of January 27, 2023. CRFCs are not included in GIS data base. Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs): These are public roads in urbanized areas which provide access and connection to the PHFS and the Interstate with other ports, public transportation facilities, or other intermodal transportation facilities. Nationwide, there are 2,656 centerline miles designated as CUFC as of January 27, 2023. CUFCs are not included in GIS data base. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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: National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present [datasets] F. Update Log ---------------------------------------------------------------- A. GENERAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 0. Title of Dataset: National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present [dataset] 1. Description of Dataset: The National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-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). Congress established a new National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) in 23 U.S.C. 167 to improve the efficient movement of freight on the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) and support several goals. The law required the FHWA Administrator to strategically direct Federal resources and policies toward improved performance of the network. The NHFP provides formula funding apportioned annually to States, for use on the NHFN. The definition of the NHFN is established under 23 U.S.C. 167(c) and consists of four separate highway network components: the PHFS; Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs); Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs); and those portions of the Interstate System that are not part of the PHFS. Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS): This is a network of highways identified as the most critical highway portions of the U.S. freight transportation system determined by measurable and objective national data. The network consists of 41,800 centerlines miles, including 38,014 centerline miles of Interstate and 3,785 centerline miles of non-Interstate roads. Other Interstate portions not on the PHFS: These highways consist of the remaining portion of Interstate roads not included in the PHFS. These routes provide important continuity and access to freight transportation facilities. These portions amount to an estimated 10,265 centerline miles of Interstate, nationwide, and will fluctuate with additions and deletions to the Interstate Highway System. Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs): These are public roads not in an urbanized area which provide access and connection to the PHFS and the Interstate with other important ports, public transportation facilities, or other intermodal freight facilities. Nationwide, there are 5,389 centerline miles designated as CRFCs as of January 27, 2023. CRFCs are not included in GIS data base. Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs): These are public roads in urbanized areas which provide access and connection to the PHFS and the Interstate with other ports, public transportation facilities, or other intermodal transportation facilities. Nationwide, there are 2,656 centerline miles designated as CUFC as of January 27, 2023. CUFCs are not included in GIS data base. 2. Dataset archive link: https://doi.org/10.21949/1403518 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. 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/10.21949/1530050 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]. National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present [datasets]. 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 National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present dataset A. Filename: bts_NTAD_NHFN_DMP_20250609.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. B. Filename: bts_NTAD_NHFN_README_20250609.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. C. File List for the National_Highway_Freight_Network_NTAD2024_Present.zip collection. Ca. File List for NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_National_Highway_Freight_Network_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection Ca 1. Filename: NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_National_Highway_Freight_Network_XXXX_XX_XX.gdb.zip (Folder) Short description: Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) 2024-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data. Ca 2. Filename: NHFN.xml Short description: Extensible Markup Language (XML) files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. Ca 3. Filename: National_Highway_Freight_Network.xlsx Short description: Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary including attribute field names and definitions for fields and applicable values. ---------------------------------------------------------------- D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: The NHFN includes the four subsystems of roadways: the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS), Other Interstate portions not on the PHFS (non-PHFS), Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFCs), and Critical Urban Freight Corridors (CUFCs). The FHWA Administrator is required to re-designate the PHFS every 5 years to reflect changes in freight flows, including emerging freight corridors and critical commerce corridors. States and in certain cases, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), are responsible for designating public roads for the CRFCs and CUFCs. Additional information on the NHFN is available at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/nfn/index.htm. 2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data: File geodatabase data can only be opened with Esri ArcGIS. The documentation files can be opened with any basic text editor. ---------------------------------------------------------------- E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) data table Due to the size of the data, it is not described in detail here. Review the data dictionary present in the data folders for information on the data table. A. Number of variables (columns): The data dictionary found in National_Highway_Freight_Network.xlsx 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 National_Highway_Freight_Network.xlsx for names, definitions, and formats of variables. C. Missing data codes: None ---------------------------------------------------------------- F. UPDATE LOG ---------------------------------------------------------------- This bts_NHFN_20250609_README.txt file was originally created on 2025-05-28 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov [Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:] 2025-06-09: Original file created 2025-12-11: DOI added