TIGER/Line Files, 1995

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division

Publication_Date: 1996

Title: TIGER/Line Files, 1995

Edition: 1995

Series_Information:

Series_Name: TIGER/Line Files

Issue_Identification:

Each file cotnains a version code that uniquely identifies each specific release of a version of the TIGER/Line files. The version code for the 1995 TIGER/Line files is 0024.

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Washington, DC

Publisher:

U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division

Description:

Abstract:

TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are trademarks of the U.S. Census Bureau. The 1995 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER database. The TIGER/Line data are not in a mapping projection even though most of the features were scanned directly from source maps that were in a projection. The North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) is the coordinate datum used for the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States. Regional datums are used for Hawaii and the Pacific Island Areas. The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on January 1, 1995 legal boundaries. A complete set of 1995 TIGER/Line files includes all counties and statistically equivalent entities in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Minor Outlying Areas, and the Pacific Island Areas. The Census TIGER database represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts. However, each county- based TIGER/Line file is designed to stand alone as an independent data set or the files can be combined to cover the whole Nation. The 1995 TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries. The boundary information in the TIGER/Line files 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. The files contain information distributed over a series of record types for the spatial objects of a county. There are 17 record types, including the basic data record, the shape coordinate points, and geographic codes that can be used with appropriate software to prepare maps. Other geographic information contained in the files includes attributes such as feature identifiers/census feature class codes (CFCC) used to differentiate feature types, address ranges and ZIP Codes, codes for legal and statistical entities, latitude/longitude coordinates of linear and point features, landmark point features, area landmarks, key geographic features, and area boundaries. The 1995 TIGER/Line data dictionary contains a complete list of all the fields in the 17 record types.

Purpose:

In order for others to use the information in the Census 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 files. Various versions of the TIGER/Line files have been released on an irregular schedule; previous versions include the 1990 Census TIGER/Line files, the 1992 TIGER/Line files, and the 1994 TIGER/Line files. The 1995 TIGER/Line files were originally produced to support Phase I of the Census 2000 Redistricting Data Program.

Supplemental_Information:

To find out more about TIGER/Line files and other Census TIGER database derived data sets visit <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger>.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 1995

Currentness_Reference: 1995

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:

TIGER/Line files are extracted from the Census TIGER database when needed for geographic programs required to support the census and survey programs of the Census Bureau. No changes or updates will be made to the 1995 TIGER/Line files. Future releases of TIGER/Line files will reflect updates made to the Census TIGER database and will be released under a revised version numbering system (based on the month and year the data is extracted).

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: +131.000000

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64.000000

North_Bounding_Coordinate: +72.000000

South_Bounding_Coordinate: -15.000000

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: FGDC Framework Themes

Theme_Keyword: FWGOVERNMENTALUNITS

Theme_Keyword: FWTRANSPORTATION

Theme_Keyword: FWROADS

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: Line Feature

Theme_Keyword: Feature Identifier

Theme_Keyword: Census Feature Classification Code (CFCC)

Theme_Keyword: Address Range

Theme_Keyword: Geographic Entity

Theme_Keyword: Point/Node

Theme_Keyword: Landmark Feature

Theme_Keyword: Legal Boundary

Theme_Keyword: Statistical Boundary

Theme_Keyword: Polygon

Theme_Keyword: County and Statistical Equivalents

Theme_Keyword: TIGER/Line

Theme_Keyword: Topology

Theme_Keyword: Street Centerline

Theme_Keyword: Latitude/Longitude

Theme_Keyword: ZIP-Code

Theme_Keyword: Vector

Theme_Keyword: TIGER Line Identification Number (TLID)

Theme_Keyword: Street Segment

Theme_Keyword: Coordinate

Theme_Keyword: Boundary

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:

FIPS Publication 6-4 FIPS Publication-55

Place_Keyword: United States

Place_Keyword: U.S. Virgin Islands

Place_Keyword: Puerto Rico

Place_Keyword: Pacific Island Areas

Place_Keyword: County

Access_Constraints: None

Use_Constraints:

None. Acknowledgment of the U.S. Census Bureau would be appreciated for products derived from these files. TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are trademarks of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

TIGER/Line files are created and processed in a VAX/VMS environment. The environment consists of a VAX 7630 clustered with a VAX 6610 running OpenVMS version 5.2-2 used for production operations. The Census TIGER system is driven by DEC Command Language (DCL) procedures which invoke C software routines to extract selected geographic and cartographic information (TIGER/Line files) from the operational Census TIGER database.

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

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.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

The feature network of lines (as represented by Record Types 1 and 2) is complete for census purposes. Spatial objects in TIGER/Line belong to the "Geometry and Topology"(GT) class of objects in the "Spatial Data Transfer Standard" (SDTS) FIPS Publication 173 and are topologically valid. Node/geometry and topology (GT)-polygon/chain relationships are collected or generated to satisfy topological edit requirements. These requirements include: * Complete chains must begin and end at nodes. * Complete chains must connect to each other at nodes. * Complete chains do not extend through nodes. * Left and right GT-polygons are defined for each complete chain element and are consistent throughout the extract process. * The chains representing the limits of the file are free of gaps. The Census Bureau performed automated tests to ensure logical consistency and limits of files. All polygons are tested for closure. Some polygons in the TIGER/Line files may be so small that the polygon internal point has been manually placed on a node that defines the polygon perimeter. These small polygons have been detected, and corrections will be incorporated in the Census TIGER database in the future. The Census Bureau uses its internally developed Geographic Update System to enhance and modify spatial and attribute data in the Census TIGER database. Standard geographic codes, such as FIPS codes for states, counties, municipalities, and places, 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 TIGER database files. Most of the codes themselves 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.

Completeness_Report:

Data completeness of the TIGER/Line files reflects the contents of the Census TIGER database at the time the TIGER/Line files (1995 version) were created.

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

The information present in these files is provided for the purposes of statistical analysis and census operations only. Coordinates in the TIGER/Line files have six implied decimal places, but the positional accuracy of these coordinates is not as great as the six decimal places suggest. The positional accuracy varies with the source materials used, but generally the information is no better than the established National Map Accuracy standards for 1:100,000-scale maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); thus it is NOT suitable for high- precision measurement applications such as engineering problems, property transfers, or other uses that might require highly accurate measurements of the earth's surface. The USGS 1:100,000- scale maps meet national map accuracy standards and use coordinates defined by the North American Datum, 1983. For the contiguous 48 States, the cartographic fidelity of most of the 1995 TIGER/Line files, in areas outside the 1980 census Geographic Base File/Dual Independent Map Encoding (GBF/DIME) file coverage and selected other large metropolitan areas, compare favorably with the USGS 1:100,000-scale maps. The Census Bureau cannot specify the accuracy of features inside of what was the 1980 GBF/DIME-Files coverage or selected metropolitan areas. The Census Bureau added updates to the TIGER/Line files that enumerators annotated on map sheets prepared from the Census TIGER database as they attempted to traverse every street feature shown on the 1990 census map sheets; the Census Bureau also made other corrections from updated map sheets supplied by local participants for Census Bureau programs. The locational accuracy of these updates is of unknown quality. In addition to the Federal, State, and local sources, portions of the files may contain information obtained in part from maps and other materials prepared by private companies. Despite the fact that TIGER/Line data positional accuracy is not as high as the coordinates values imply, the six-decimal place precision is useful when producing maps. The precision allows features that are next to each other on the ground to be placed in the correct position, on the map, relative to each other, without overlap.

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division

Publication_Date: Unpublished material

Title: Census TIGER database

Edition: 1995

Type_of_Source_Media: On line

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 1995

Source_Currentness_Reference:

Date the file was made available to create TIGER/Line File extracts.

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: TIGER

Source_Contribution:

Selected geographic and cartographic information (line segments) from the Census TIGER database.

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

In order for others to use the information in the Census TIGER database in a GIS or for other geographic applications, the Census Bureau releases periodic extracts of selected information from the Census TIGER database, organized as topologically consistent networks. Software (TIGER DB routines) written by the Geography Division allows for efficient access to Census TIGER system data. TIGER/Line files are extracted from the Census TIGER database by county or statistical equivalent area. Census TIGER data for a given county or statistical equivalent area is then distributed among 17 fixed length record ASCII files, each one containing attributes for either line, polygon, or landmark geographic data types. The U.S. Census Bureau has released various versions of the TIGER/Line files since 1988, with each version having more updates (feature and feature names, address ranges and ZIP Codes, coordinate updates, new record types, revised field definitions, etc.), than the previous version.

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: Census TIGER database

Process_Date: 1996

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Indirect_Spatial_Reference:

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) and feature names and addresses.

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Node, network

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 570 to 56,000

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Entity point

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Complete chain

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 790 to 83,000

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 290 to 33,000

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 0.000458

Longitude_Resolution: 0.000458

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

The TIGER/Line files contain data describing three major types of features/entities; Line Features - 1) Roads 2) Railroads 3) Hydrography 4) Miscellaneous transportation features and selected power lines and pipe lines 5) Legal (governmental unit) and statistical boundaries Landmark Features - 1) Point landmarks, e.g., schools and churches. 2) Area landmarks, e.g., Parks and cemeteries. 3) Key geographic locations (KGLs), e.g., shopping centers and factories. Polygon features - 1) Geographic entity codes for areas used to tabulate the 1990 census statistical data and current geographic areas 2) Locations of area landmarks 3) Locations of KGLs The line features and polygon information form the majority of data in the TIGER/Line files. Some of the data/attributes describing the lines include coordinates, feature identifiers (names), CFCCs (used to identify the most noticeable characteristic of a feature), address ranges, and geographic entity codes. The Census Bureau includes landmark features on an as-needed-basis and has made no attempt to ensure that all instances of a particular landmark feature were included. The TIGER/Line files contain point and area labels that describe landmarks features and provide locational reference. Area landmarks consist of a feature name or label and feature type assigned to a polygon or group of polygons. Landmarks may overlap or refer to the same set of polygons. The Census TIGER database uses collections of spatial objects (points, lines, and polygons) to model or describe real-world geography. The Census Bureau uses these spatial objects to represent features such as streets, rivers, and legal boundaries and assigns attributes to these features to identify and describe specific features such as the 500 block of Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

The U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line Files, 1995 Technical Documentation. The TIGER/Line documentation defines the terms and definitions used within the files.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division Geographic Products Management Branch

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Physical address

Address: 8903 Presidential Parkway, Room 520 WP I

City: Upper Marlboro

State_or_Province: Maryland

Postal_Code: 20772

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (301) 763-1128

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing address

Address: 4700 Silver Hill Road, Stop 7400

City: Washington

State_or_Province: District of Columbia

Postal_Code: 20233-7400

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (301) 763-1128

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (301) 457-4710

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: geo.tiger@census.gov

Resource_Description: 1995 TIGER/Line Files

Distribution_Liability:

No warranty, expressed or implied is made and no liability is assumed by the U.S. Government in general or the U.S. Census Bureau in specific as to the positional 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 files 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.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: TGRLN (compressed)

File_Decompression_Technique: PK-ZIP, version 1.93A or higher.

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name: www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger

Fees:

None. This version of the TIGER/Line files has been superseded by later versions and is no longer available from the Census Bureau. The latest version of the TIGER/Line files may be accesses without charge online. See <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger>. The 1995 TIGER/Line files may still be available in some Federal Depository Libraries.

Ordering_Instructions:

To obtain more information about ordering TIGER/Line files visit <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger>.

Technical_Prerequisites:

The 1995 TIGER/Line files contain geographic data only and do not include display or mapping software or statistical data. For information on how to use the TIGER/Line data with a specific software package users should contact the company that produced the software. A list of some vendors who have developed software capable of processing TIGER/Line files can be found by visiting <http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger>. The Census Bureau provides TIGER/Line files in ASCII text format only. Users are responsible for converting or translating the files into a format used by their specific software package.

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 2003

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization:

U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division Geographic Products Management Branch

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Physical address

Address: 8903 Presidential Parkway, Room 520 WP I

City: Upper Marlboro

State_or_Province: Maryland

Postal_Code: 20772

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (301) 763-1128

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: geo.tiger@census.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998