README for “Places 1995-Present” dataset.
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB); U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]
2025-05-29


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LINKS TO DATASET
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A. Dataset archive link:
       Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520805

B. NTAD catalog dataset link (Current Year):
       https://doi.org/10.21949/1522242


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SUMMARY OF DATASET
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The Places 1995-Present dataset, formerly known as Populated Places, is from the United States Census Bureau (USCB), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’s (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This resource is a member of a series. The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. The TIGER/Line shapefiles include both incorporated places (legal entities) and census designated places or CDPs (statistical entities). An incorporated place is established to provide governmental functions for a concentration of people as opposed to a minor civil division (MCD), which generally is created to provide services or administer an area without regard, necessarily, to population. Places always nest within a state, but may extend across county and county subdivision boundaries. An incorporated place usually is a city, town, village, or borough, but can have other legal descriptions. CDPs are delineated for the decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places. CDPs are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name, but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located. The boundaries for CDPs often are defined in partnership with state, local, and/or tribal officials and usually coincide with visible features or the boundary of an adjacent incorporated place or another legal entity. CDP boundaries often change from one decennial census to the next with changes in the settlement pattern and development; a CDP with the same name as in an earlier census does not necessarily have the same boundary. The only population/housing size requirement for CDPs is that they must contain some housing and population. The boundaries of all CDPs were delineated as part of the Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) for the Census, but some CDPs were added or updated through the BAS as well.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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A. General Information
B. Sharing/Access & Policies Information
C. Data and Related File Overview
D. Methodological Information
E. Data-Specific Information for: Places 1995-Present [datasets]
F. Update Log


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A. GENERAL INFORMATION
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0. Title of Dataset: 
   Places 1995-Present [dataset]

1. Description of Dataset:
   The Places 1995-Present dataset, formerly known as Populated Places, is from the United States Census Bureau (USCB), and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This resource is a member of a series. The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. The TIGER/Line shapefiles include both incorporated places (legal entities) and census designated places or CDPs (statistical entities). An incorporated place is established to provide governmental functions for a concentration of people as opposed to a minor civil division (MCD), which generally is created to provide services or administer an area without regard, necessarily, to population. Places always nest within a state, but may extend across county and county subdivision boundaries. An incorporated place usually is a city, town, village, or borough, but can have other legal descriptions. CDPs are delineated for the decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places. CDPs are delineated to provide data for settled concentrations of population that are identifiable by name, but are not legally incorporated under the laws of the state in which they are located. The boundaries for CDPs often are defined in partnership with state, local, and/or tribal officials and usually coincide with visible features or the boundary of an adjacent incorporated place or another legal entity. CDP boundaries often change from one decennial census to the next with changes in the settlement pattern and development; a CDP with the same name as in an earlier census does not necessarily have the same boundary. The only population/housing size requirement for CDPs is that they must contain some housing and population. The boundaries of all CDPs were delineated as part of the Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) for the Census, but some CDPs were added or updated through the BAS as well.
   
2. Dataset archive link: 
       Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520805

3. Authorship Information:
   Principal Data Creator or Data Manager Contact Information
           Institution: U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB)
           Address: 4600 Silver Hill Rd., Washington D.C. 20233
           Contact: geo.bas@census.gov/ geo.geography@census.gov 

    Data Distributor Contact Information
        Name: National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD)
           Institution: U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of Spatial Analysis and Visualization (OSAV)
           Address: 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20590
           Email: ntad@dot.gov
	   
4. Date of data collection and update interval:
   There are no planned updates to this dataset.

5. Geographic location of data collection: 
   United States of America

6. Information about funding sources that supported the collection of the data:
   United States Census Bureau (USCB), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)


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B. SHARING/ACCESS & POLICIES INFORMATION 
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0. Recommended citation for the data: 
   U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), United States Census Bureau (USCB), U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) [distributor]. Places 1995-Present [datasets]. Https://doi.org/10.21949/1520805

1. Licenses/restrictions placed on the data:
   These data are in the Public Domain.

2. Was data derived from another source?:
   No. 
   
3.This document was created to meet the requirements enumerated in the U.S. Department of Transportation's 'Plan to Increase Public Access to the Results of Federally-Funded Scientific Research' Version 1.1 << https://doi.org/10.21949/1520559 >> and guidelines suggested by the DOT Public Access website << https://doi.org/10.21949/1503647 >>, in effect and current as of December 03, 2020.


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C. DATA & RELATED FILE OVERVIEW
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1. File List for the Places 1995-Present dataset     

   A. Filename:
       Places_NTAD1995_Present.zip
	    Short description:
	    Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Places 1995-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year or date respectively.

   B. Filename: 
      bts_NTAD_Places_DMP_20250529.pdf      
        Short description: 
        A PDF file containing the Data Management Plan that was created for current and future management of the data and associated files. 
 
   C. Filename: 
      bts_NTAD_Places_README_20250529.txt     
        Short description: 
        The README.txt file that includes human-readable information about the data, variable definitions, contact information, and other contextual information. The file you are reading now.    

2. File List for the Places_NTAD1995_Present.zip collection.
   A. Filename:
       NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Place.zip, NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Populated_Places_XXXX.zip, NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Populated_Places_XXXX.zip, or NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Places_XXXX_XX_XX.zip
	    Short description:
	    Compressed file folders containing the geospatial data for Places 1995-Present dataset. File folders are classified by NTAD publication year and data vintage year respectively.

3a. File List for the NTADXXXX_SHP_Final_Places_XXXX*.zip collection.
   A. Filename:
       place.shp
	Short description:
	A shapefile containing the geospatial data for Places 1995-Present dataset. This includes associated files with extensions .prj, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx, .shx.

   B. Filename: 
       place.txt, place.htm, place.shp.xml, and placeDataDictionary.htm
        Short description: 
        Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, data dictionary, etc.  
        
3b. File List for the NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Places_XXXX_XX_XX.zip collection
   A. Filename:
       NTADXXXX_GDB_Final_Places_XXXX_XX_XX.gdb.zip
	Short description:
	A file geodatabase containing the geospatial data for Places 1995-Present dataset. Geodatabase (GDB) folders contain all the necessary components to view and otherwise interact with their data.

   B. Filename: 
       Places.xml
        Short description: 
        Text files containing key metadata and documentation information such as methodology, procedures, etc. 
   
   C. Filename: 
       PopulatedPlace.xlsx
        Short description: 
        Excel spreadsheet containing the dataset's data dictionary.


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D. METHODOLOGICAL INFORMATION
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1. Description of methods used for collection/generation of data: 
   The database assigns a unique, permanent feature identifier, the Feature ID, as a standard Federal key for accessing, integrating, or reconciling feature data from multiple data sets. The GNIS collects data from a broad program of partnerships with Federal, State, and local government agencies and other authorized contributors. The GNIS provides data to all levels of government and to the public, as well as to numerous applications through a web query site, web map and feature services, file download services, and customized files upon request.
   
2. Instrument- or software-specific information needed to interpret the data:
   The data and documentation files can be opened with Esri ArcMap and any GIS software package. 


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E. DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION  
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1. Places data table
   There are no planned updates to this dataset. Dataset Manager is contacted to verify changes to data resulting in NTAD update. The metadata is updated in the same manner. For the most recent data, please visit the NTAD catalog at https://doi.org/10.21949/1522242

A. Number of variables (columns):
   The data dictionary found in (PDF documentation) provides definitions for the variables
   
B. Data Dictionary/Variable List:
   Because of the large number of variables, please refer to the Data Dictionary found within the file Places.txt for names, definitions, and formats of variables.

C. Missing data codes:
   None


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F. UPDATE LOG
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This bts_Places_20250529_README.txt file was originally created on 2021-03-24 by Dominic Menegus, Geographer, dominic.menegus@dot.gov

[Note changes or update to the readme.txt file, e.g.:]

2021-03-24: Original file created
2025-05-29: Revised document, including data descriptions and file organization.

