Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
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Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area Boundaries - Data Dictionary

Abstract: The Bureau of the Census Urbanized Area Boundaries data set contains boundary information for urban areas with a population greater than 50,000. The data set includes boundaries for urban areas in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. A UA may contain both place and nonplace territory. The U.S. Census Bureau delineates UAs to provide a better separation of urban and rural territory, population, and housing in the vicinity of large places. At least 35,000 people in a UA must live in an area that is not part of a military reservation.

Purpose: The data provide users with information about the locations, names, and size of urban areas. The data are used primarily for national planning applications.

Field Number Attribute Description Data Type
0 FID Internal feature number. Long Integer representing an object identifier
1 Shape Feature geometry. Geometry
2 NAME Name of the Urbanized Area Character String
3 ST State names that fall within that polygon Character String
4 LSAD_ Census identifying it is an Urbanized Area Character String
5 UA_ Each UA is assigned a five-digit census code in alphabetical sequence on a nationwide basis, interspersed with the codes for urban clusters (UCs), also in alphabetical sequence. Character String
6 CNTRLAT Centroid latitude value for the polygon expressed as a signed integer with six implied decimal places. Double Precision Floating Point
7 CNTRLONG Centroid longitude value for the polygon expressed as a signed integer with six implied decimal places. Double Precision Floating Point
8 VERSION The VERSION is a 2-digit number that will be incremented for all records in the database whenever a new release is distributed. Character String


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