These state legislative district-based reference maps show and label the state legislative districts (SLDs) and voting districts (VTDs)–the geographic entities that states submitted during their participation in the early phases of the Census Redistricting Data Program. Two separate map types make up this series: one that displays State Legislative Districts – Upper Chamber (SLDUs) and one that displays the State Legislative Districts – Lower Chamber (SLDLs). Each of these maps shows the extent of the subject SLD, as well as the surrounding SLDs of the same type. In addition to SLDs and VTDs, these maps also show and label federal and state American Indian reservations, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, states (or state equivalents), counties (or county equivalents), county subdivisions (in states where they function as governmental units), consolidated cities, and places. The maps also display a base feature network including roads, railroads, and water bodies. These features are labeled as scale permits. The map sheet configuration is optimized to keep the number of map sheets for each SLD to a minimum. Each SLD is covered by one or more parent map sheets at a single scale. Inset map sheets at larger scales are created as required to show the map content described above. An index map sheet showing the sheet configuration is created for all SLDs requiring more than one parent sheet. The map sheet size is 36 by 32 inches. 

Each state legislative district's map is accompanied by a VTD to Map Sheet (VTD2MS) relationship file. This semicolon-delimited text file includes one record for each VTD within the SLD and a list of all the map sheets where that VTD appears. In addition to the 11-character VTD full code, each record contains the codes for the corresponding state, county, and VTD, as well as the VTD name.

A catalog file including the file name, entity name, and total number of map sheets is provided in the directory for each state. The map file (PDF) and associated text files are in SLD-based directories.

Map Viewing Tips: These maps were designed to be viewed with Adobe Reader (version 6 or later), which is available free from Adobe. These maps are large and use complex symbology, such as wave pattern fill for water bodies. If a browser opens them in another PDF reader, the screen display may not accurately reproduce the map. For best viewing in Adobe Reader, uncheck the “Enhance thin lines” option, found under the Edit tab: Preferences > Category: Page Display > Rendering section.