Description
The 2016 cartographic boundary KMLs are simplified representations
of selected geographic areas from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File /
Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database
(MTDB). These boundary files are specifically designed for small-scale thematic
mapping. When possible, generalization is performed with the intent to maintain the
hierarchical relationships among geographies and to maintain the alignment of
geographies within a file set for a given year. Geographic areas may not align with
the same areas from another year. Some geographies are available as nation-based
files while others are available only as state-based files. Combined Statistical
Areas (CSAs) are defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and consist of
two or more adjacent Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) that have significant
employment interchanges. The CBSAs that combine to create a CSA retain separate
identities within the larger CSA. Because CSAs represent groupings of CBSAs, they
should not be ranked or compared with individual CBSAs. The generalized boundaries in
this file are based on those defined by OMB based on the 2010 Census, published in
2013, and updated in 2015.
Resources
| Name | Format | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keyhole Markup Language (KML) | ZIP | The cartographic boundary files contain geographic data only and do not include display mapping software or statistical data. For information on how to use cartographic boundary file data with specific software package users shall contact the company that produced the software. | Open resource |
| Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles | HTML | Simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER geographic database | Open resource |