As the United States expanded and cities grew, there was a need to have accurate maps to locate where people lived and new concepts to classify patterns of settlement. Over the decades new terms such as urban areas, metropolitan areas, census county divisions, and census tracts were added to the list of Census Bureau geographic entities.
With new housing developments and suburbs springing up after World War II, new procedures and mechanisms were needed to help the U.S. Census Bureau map and keep track of annexations and other boundary changes.
As the demand for more accurate and up-to-date statistics grew, so too did the need to represent that information in an easy to understand format such as thematic maps.
Census Bureau cartographers prepare maps for the 1960 census.
Today, the Census Bureau is recognized as an expert in the field of cartography, conducting geographic programs and producing maps that are vital to the nation's politics, commerce, and development. Examples of these programs and cartographic products include:
For more information about these programs and to learn about other georgraphic programs conducted by the Census Bureau, visit the agency's Geographic Programs page.
The Center of the United States' population as of Census 2000.