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Resource Library
Cartographic Boundary Files
Cartographic Boundary Files
The cartographic boundary files are simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the Census Bureau’s Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) System. These boundary files are specifically designed for small scale thematic mapping. As of 2019, cartographic boundary files are available in shapefile, geodatabase, and Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format. For more details about these files, including their appropriate usage, please see our Cartographic Boundary File Description page.
You can find older files on the Cartographic Boundary File - Shapefiles and Cartographic Boundary File - KMLs pages. You can also download files directly from our FTP site.
Note: With the 2023 posting, the attribute formerly called “AFFGEOID”—where AFF stands for the retired data dissemination system American Fact Finder—will be retired and renamed to “GEOIDFQ” or fully qualified geographic identifier. The GEOIDFQ attribute facilitates joining Census Bureau spatial data to Census Bureau summary file data from data.census.gov.
As of May 19, 2023, all 1:500,000 scale layers have been replaced to incorporate the newly defined Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) and Urban Areas. All 1:500,000 files were recreated after their delineations so that all geographies continue to topologically align with one another.
Cartographic Boundary Files by Scale
You can download these files one geographic layer at a time by visiting the “Cartographic Boundary Files by Geography” section below or you can download the entire dataset available for a given scale here:
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [407 MB] | geodatabase [298 MB]
1 : 5,000,000 (national) shapefile [8.2 MB] | geodatabase [4.9 MB]
1 : 20,000,000 (national) shapefile [2.2 MB] | geodatabase [1.5 MB]
Cartographic Boundary Files by Geography
You can download files one geographic layer at a time for the entire nation or by state, when available, below.
American Indian Area Geographies
Census Block Groups
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [96 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Census Tracts
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [59 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Consolidated Cities
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [<1.0 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
County Subdivisions
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [40 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Related Statistical Areas
Places
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [22 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs)
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [11.5 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
School Districts
School Districts - Elementary
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [2.1 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
School Districts - Secondary
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [1.0 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
School Districts - Unified
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [24 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
State Legislative Districts
State Legislative Districts - Lower Chamber
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [18 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
State Legislative Districts - Upper Chamber
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [12 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Urban Areas
Please see the 2020 Census Urban Area Errata before using either file.
Original 2020 Census Urban Areas Delineation
Use this delineation if you are mapping 2020 Census data.
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [9.2 MB] | kml [6.7 MB]
Corrected 2020 Census Urban Areas
Use this delineation if you are mapping data for the 2022 data year and beyond.
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [9 MB] | kml [6.5 MB]
Voting Districts
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [80 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Related Information
Page Last Revised - April 15, 2024
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