The TIGER/Line Shapefiles are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from
the Census MAF/TIGER database. The Census MAF/TIGER database 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 the shapefiles can be combined to cover the whole nation.
In order for others to use the information in the Census MAF/TIGER database in a geographic
information system (GIS) or for other geographic applications, the Census Bureau releases to
the public extracts of the database in the form of TIGER/Line Shapefiles.
Publication Date
The TIGER/Line Shapefile products are not copyrighted however TIGER/Line and Census TIGER are
registered trademarks of the U.S. Census Bureau. These products are free to use in a product
or publication, however acknowledgement must be given to the U.S. Census Bureau as the source.
The boundary information in the TIGER/Line Shapefiles are for statistical data collection and
tabulation purposes only; their depiction and designation for statistical purposes does not
constitute a determination of jurisdictional authority or rights of ownership or entitlement
and they are not legal land descriptions.Coordinates in the TIGER/Line shapefiles have six
implied decimal places, but the positional accuracy of these coordinates is not as great as
the six decimal places suggest.
4600 Silver Hill Road, Stop 7400
Accurate against Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), FIPS Publication 6-4, and
FIPS-55 at the 100% level for the codes and base names. The remaining attribute information
has been examined but has not been fully tested for accuracy.
The Census Bureau performed automated tests to ensure logical consistency and limits of
shapefiles. Segments making up the outer and inner boundaries of a polygon tie end-to-end
to completely enclose the area. All polygons are tested for closure.
The Census Bureau uses its internally developed geographic update system to enhance and
modify spatial and attribute data in the Census MAF/TIGER database. Standard geographic
codes, such as FIPS codes for states, counties, municipalities, county subdivisions, places,
American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian areas, and congressional districts are used when
encoding spatial entities. The Census Bureau performed spatial data tests for logical consistency
of the codes during the compilation of the original Census MAF/TIGER database files. Most of
the codes for geographic entities except states, counties, urban areas, Core Based Statistical
Areas (CBSAs), American Indian Areas (AIAs), and congressional districts were provided to the
Census Bureau by the USGS, the agency responsible for maintaining FIPS 55. Feature attribute
information has been examined but has not been fully tested for consistency.
For the TIGER/Line Shapefiles, the Point and Vector Object Count for the G-polygon SDTS Point
and Vector Object Type reflects the number of records in the shapefile attribute table. For
multi-polygon features, only one attribute record exists for each multi-polygon rather than
one attribute record per individual G-polygon component of the multi-polygon feature.
TIGER/Line Shapefile multi-polygons are an exception to the G-polygon object type classification.
Therefore, when multi-polygons exist in a shapefile, the object count will be less than the actual
number of G-polygons.
Data completeness of the TIGER/Line Shapefiles reflects the contents of the Census MAF/TIGER database at the time the TIGER/Line Shapefiles were created.
The selected geographic and cartographic information (line segments) are derived from
the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding
and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) database.
TIGER/Line Shapefiles are extracted from the Census MAF/TIGER database by nation, state,
county, and entity. Census MAF/TIGER data for the nation, state, county, and entity are
then distributed among 58 shapefiles each containing attributes for line, polygon, or
landmark geographic data.
Internal feature number.
ESRI
Feature geometry.
ESRI
Current state Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current county Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current county subdivision Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 55 code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current county subdivision ANSI code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current county subdivision identifier, a concatenation of current state Federal Information
Processing Standards (FIPS) code, county FIPS code, and county subdivision FIPS 55 code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current county subdivision name
U.S. Census Bureau
Current name and the translated legal/statistical area description for county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
Current legal/statistical area description code for county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
Blank
U.S. Census Bureau
barrio
U.S. Census Bureau
borough
U.S. Census Bureau
census county division
U.S. Census Bureau
census subarea
U.S. Census Bureau
census subdistrict
U.S. Census Bureau
city
U.S. Census Bureau
county
U.S. Census Bureau
district
U.S. Census Bureau
District (prefix)
U.S. Census Bureau
precinct
U.S. Census Bureau
Precinct (prefix)
U.S. Census Bureau
gore
U.S. Census Bureau
grant
U.S. Census Bureau
location
U.S. Census Bureau
plantation
U.S. Census Bureau
barrio-pueblo
U.S. Census Bureau
purchase
U.S. Census Bureau
town
U.S. Census Bureau
township
U.S. Census Bureau
Township (prefix)
U.S. Census Bureau
Unorganized Territory (UT)
U.S. Census Bureau
village
U.S. Census Bureau
charter township
U.S. Census Bureau
Reservation
U.S. Census Bureau
Current Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 55 class code
U.S. Census Bureau
An active incorporated place that is legally coextensive with an county subdivision
but treated as independent of any county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
An active incorporated place that is independent of any county subdivision and serves
as a county subdivision equivalent
U.S. Census Bureau
An incorporated place that is independent of any county
U.S. Census Bureau
A nonfunctioning county subdivision that is coextensive with a census designated place
U.S. Census Bureau
A statistical county subdivision that is coextensive with a census designated place
U.S. Census Bureau
A statistical county subdivision that is coextensive with a legal American Indian,
Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian area
U.S. Census Bureau
An active county subdivision that is not coextensive with an incorporated place
U.S. Census Bureau
An active county subdivision that is coextensive with a census designated place
U.S. Census Bureau
An active county subdivision that is coextensive with an incorporated place
U.S. Census Bureau
An inactive county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
A nonfunctioning county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
A county subdivision that is coextensive with an American Indian, Alaska Native,
or Native Hawaiian area and legally is independent of any other county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
A county subdivision defined as an unorganized territory
U.S. Census Bureau
A statistical county subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
A county subdivision that is coextensive with a county or equivalent feature or all
or part of an incorporated place that the Census Bureau recognizes separately
U.S. Census Bureau
Area of a county or equivalent, generally in territorial sea, where no county
subdivision exists
U.S. Census Bureau
MAF/TIGER feature class code
U.S. Census Bureau
County Subdivision
U.S. Census Bureau
Current combined New England city and town area code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current New England city and town area code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current New England city and town area division code
U.S. Census Bureau
Current functional status
U.S. Census Bureau
Active government providing primary general-purpose functions
U.S. Census Bureau
Active government that is partially consolidated with another government but with
separate officials providing primary general-purpose functions
U.S. Census Bureau
Active government consolidated with another government with a single set of officials
U.S. Census Bureau
Fictitious entity created to fill the Census Bureau geographic hierarchy
U.S. Census Bureau
Active government that is subordinate to another unit of government.
U.S. Census Bureau
Inactive governmental unit that has the power to provide primary special-purpose functions
U.S. Census Bureau
Nonfunctioning legal entity
U.S. Census Bureau
Statistical entity
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road, Stop 7400
No warranty, expressed or implied is made with regard to the accuracy of these data, and no liability is
assumed by the U.S. Government in general or the U.S. Census Bureau in specific as to the spatial or
attribute accuracy of the data. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty and no
responsibility is assumed by the U.S. government in the use of these files. The boundary information
in the TIGER/Line Shapefiles is for statistical data collection and tabulation purposes only; their
depiction and designation for statistical purposes do not constitute a determination of jurisdictional
authority or rights of ownership or entitlement and they are not legal land descriptions.
To obtain more information about ordering TIGER/Line shapefiles visit http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger
4600 Silver Hill Road, Stop 7400