Census Collection Blocks 2000 for Idaho (Redistricting Census 2000, TIGER/Line Files)

Frequently-asked questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. Where did the data come from?
  2. What changes have been made?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
  6. Is there some other way to get the data?
  7. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
• Who wrote the metadata?

Census Collection Blocks 2000 for Idaho are depicted as polygons.

The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER data base. The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on January 1, 2000 legal boundaries. A complete set of Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files includes all counties and statistically equivalent entities in the United States and Puerto Rico. The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries. 

TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are registered trademarks of the Bureau of the Census. The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Census TIGER data base.  The geographic coverage for a single TIGER/Line file is a county or statistical equivalent entity, with the coverage area based on January 1, 2000 legal boundaries.  A complete set of Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files includes all counties and statistically equivalent entities in the United States and Puerto Rico.  The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files will not include files for the Island Areas. The Census TIGER data base represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts.  However, each county-based TIGER/Line file is designed to stand alone as an independent data set or the files can be combined to cover the whole Nation.  The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files consist of line segments representing physical features and governmental and statistical boundaries.  The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files do NOT contain the ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and the address ranges are of approximately the same vintage as those appearing in the 1999 TIGER/Line files.  That is, the Census Bureau is producing the Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files in advance of the computer processing that will ensure that the address ranges in the TIGER/Line files agree with the final Master Address File (MAF) used for tabulating Census 2000.  The files contain information distributed over a series of record types for the spatial objects of a county.  There are 17 record types, including the basic data record, the shape coordinate points, and geographic codes that can be used with appropriate software to prepare maps.  Other geographic information contained in the files includes attributes such as feature identifiers/census feature class codes (CFCC) used to differentiate feature types, address ranges and ZIP Codes, codes for legal and statistical entities, latitude/longitude coordinates of linear and point features, landmark point features, area landmarks, key geographic features, and area boundaries.  The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line data dictionary contains a complete list of all the fields in the 17 record types.

The source data for this statewide shapefile were downloaded from ESRI (http://www.esri.com/data/download/census2000_tigerline/index.html).  The source data were created by ESRI from the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) database of the United States Census Bureau. The data set still maintains the original detail of the TIGER data (i.e. it has not been generalized like the Census cartographic boundary files).

The Census 2000 TIGER/Line shapefile contain data about the following features:

 - Line Features:  roads, railroads, hydrography, and transportation and utility lines. 
 - Boundary Features: statistical (e.g., census tracts and blocks); government (e.g., places and counties); and administrative (e.g., congressional and school districts). 
 - Landmark Features: point (e.g., schools and churches); area (e.g., parks and cemeteries); and key geographic locations (e.g., apartment buildings and factories). 

The Census 2000 TIGER/Line shapefile do not contain:

 - Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) 
 - Current address range information as reflected in the Master Address File (MAF) 
 - Corrections to naming of some geographic entities, including voting districts and school districts, and attributes such as Place Description Codes (PLACEDC) and Legal/Statistical Area Description Codes (LSADC) 

To find out more about TIGER/Line files and other Census TIGER data base derived data sets visit http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger.

1. How should this data set be cited?
   
   
   Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), U.S. Census Bureau, 20030701, Census Collection Blocks 2000 for Idaho (Redistricting Census 2000, TIGER/Line Files): Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data in shapefile formatThe name of the file, Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, Moscow, Idaho.
   
   
   Online links:

   • http://data.insideidaho.org/data/IGDC/archive/TIGER2000/colblk00_id_igdc.tgz

   
   
   This is part of the following larger work:

   
   

   U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division, 2001, TIGER/Line Files, Redistricting Census 2000: TIGER/Line FilesVersion (MMYY) represents the month and year file created, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division, Washington, DC.

   
   

   Online links:

   • http://www.census.gov/geo/www/census2k.html

   
   
2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
   
   
   Bounding coordinates:

   West: -117.530661

   East: -110.656326

   North: 49.039047

   South: 41.945765
   
   
3. What does it look like?
   
   
   Thumbnail image:
   
   
   
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
   
   
   Calendar date: 2000
   Currentness reference:

   2000

   
   
5. What is the general form of this data set?
   
   
   Geospatial data presentation form: vector digital data
   
   
6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   
   
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      
      
      Indirect spatial reference:

      Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) and feature names and addresses.
      
      
      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • G-polygon (1)
      
      
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      
      
      The map projection used is Transverse Mercator.

      
      

      Projection parameters:

      Transverse Mercator

      Scale factor at central meridian: 0.999600

      Longitude of central meridian: -114.000000

      Latitude of projection origin: 42.000000

      False easting: 2500000.000000

      False northing: 1200000.000000

      
      

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair.

      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.002048.

      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.002048.

      Planar coordinates are specified in meters.

      
      

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1983.

      The ellipsoid used is Geodetic Reference System 80.

      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.

      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222.

      
      
7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
   
   
   colblk00_id_igdc

   Attributes of the shapefile (Source: Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse)

   
   

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI)
                     

   
   

   Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   
   

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI)
                     

   
   

   Coordinates defining the features.

   
   

   ID

   Feature Number (Source: Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse)
                     

   
   

   STATE

   See attribute definition source  (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   COUNTY

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   BLKCOL

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   BLKSUFCOL

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   TEA

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   ZCTA

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   

   TEA_TYPE

   See attribute definition source (Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation. URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf)
                     

   
   
   Entity and attribute overview:

   The TIGER/Line files contain data describing three major types of features/entities;
   
   Line Features -
         1) Roads
         2) Railroads
         3) Hydrography
         4) Miscellaneous transportation features and selected power lines and pipe lines
         5) Political and statistical boundaries
   
   Landmark Features -
         1) Point landmarks, e.g., schools and churches.
         2) Area landmarks, e.g., Parks and cemeteries.
         3) Key geographic locations (KGLs), e.g., shopping centers and factories.
   
   Polygon features -
         1) Geographic entity codes for areas used to tabulate the Census 2000 census
         statistical data and 1990 geographic areas
         2) Locations of area landmarks
         3) Locations of KGLs
   
   The line features and polygon information form the majority of data in the TIGER/Line files.  Some of the data/attributes describing the lines include coordinates, feature identifiers (names), CFCCs (used to identify the most noticeable characteristic of a feature), address ranges, and geographic entity codes.  The TIGER/Line files contain point and area labels that describe landmark features and provide locational reference. Area landmarks consist of a feature name or label and feature type assigned to a polygon or group of polygons.  Landmarks may overlap or refer to the same set of polygons. The Census TIGER data base uses collections of spatial objects (points, lines, and polygons) to model or describe real-world geography.  The Census Bureau uses these spatial objects to represent features such as streets, rivers, and political boundaries and assigns attributes to these features to identify and describe specific features such as the 500 block of Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

   
   

   Entity and attribute detail citation:

   U.S. Bureau of the Census, TIGER/Line files, Redistricting Census 2000 Technical Documentation (see metadata enclosure or this URL: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tgrrd2k.pdf). The TIGER/Line documentation defines the terms and definitions used within the files.

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   
   
   • Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
   • Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
   • U.S. Census Bureau
   
   
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
   
   

   ESRI, United States Census Bureau.

   
   
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   
   
   Bruce Godfrey

   Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

   GIS Specialist

   Box 442350

   Moscow, ID 83844-2350

   
   

   208.885.6463 (voice)

   bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

In order for others to use the information in the Census TIGER data base in a geographic information system (GIS) or for other geographic applications, the Census Bureau releases to the public extracts of the data base in the form of TIGER/Line files.  Various versions of the TIGER/Line files have been released; previous versions include the 1990 Census TIGER/Line files, the 1992 TIGER/Line files, the 1994 TIGER/Line files, the 1995 TIGER/Line files, the 1997 TIGER/Line files, the 1998 TIGER/Line files, and the 1999 TIGER/Line files.  The Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files were originally produced to support the Census 2000 Redistricting Data Program.

1. Where did the data come from?
   
   
   TIGER (source 1 of 2)

   
   

   U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census Geography Division , Unpublished material, Census TIGER data base.

   
   

   Type of source media: On line

   Source contribution:

   Selected geographic and cartographic information (line segments) from the Census TIGER data base.

   
   
   ESRI_TIGER/Line 2000 (source 2 of 2)

   
   

   Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Unknown, Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data: Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data in shapefile formatThe name of the file, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Redlands, CA.

   
   

   Online links:

   • http://www.esri.com/data/download/census2000_tigerline/index.html

   
   

   Type of source media: online

   Source contribution:

   ESRI shapefiles in geographic projection, NAD83, decimal degrees.

   
   
2. What changes have been made?
   
   
   Date: 2000 (change 1 of 4)

   In order for others to use the information in the Census TIGER data base in a GIS or for other geographic applications, the Census Bureau releases periodic extracts of selected information from the Census TIGER data base, organized as topologically consistent networks.  Software (TIGER DB routines) written by the Geography Division allows for efficient access to Census TIGER system data. TIGER/Line files are extracted from the Census TIGER data base by county or statistical equivalent area.  Census TIGER data for a given county or statistical equivalent area is then distributed among 17 fixed length record ASCII files, each one containing attributes for either line, polygon, or landmark geographic data types.  The Census Bureau has released various versions of the TIGER/Line files since 1988, with each version having more updates (feature and feature names, address ranges and ZIP Codes, coordinate updates, revised field definitions, etc.) than the previous version.

   
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • Census TIGER data base

   
   
   Date: Unknown (change 2 of 4)

   The Census 2000 TIGER/Line shapefiles were created from the Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) database of the United States Census Bureau.
   
   The Census 2000 TIGER/Line files were converted to shapefile format using the TGRR2SHP Translator available from GIS Tools, Inc.

   
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • TIGER

   
   
   Date: 20030618 (change 3 of 4)

   The data set was created by merging the individual Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line layers using the Geoprocessing Wizard in ArcView 3.2 in order to create a statewide shapefiles. The merged shapefile was projected from GCS/NAD83 to IDTM27 using the Project Wizard in ArcToolbox 8.2.  
   
   Metadata was created from the original TIGER metadata from the U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/rd_2ktiger/tlrdmeta.txt) and documentation on the ESRI website.

   
   

   Person responsible for change:
   

   Bruce Godfrey

   Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

   GIS Specialist

   Box 442350

   Moscow, Idaho 83844-2350

   
   

   208.885.6463 (voice)

   bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

   
   

   Data sources used in this process:

   • ESRI_TIGER/Line 2000

   
   
   Date: 20060420 (change 4 of 4)

   Shapefile projected from IDTM27 to IDTM83 using batch project tool in ArcToolBox 9.1

   
   

   Person responsible for change:
   

   Bruce Godfrey

   Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

   GIS Specialist

   Box 442350

   Moscow, ID 83844-2350

   
   

   208.885.6463 (voice)

   bgodfrey@uidaho.edu

   
   

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   
   

   Accurate against Federal information Processing Standards (FIPS), FIPS Publication 6-4, and FIPS-55 at the 100% level for the codes and base names.  The remaining attribute information has been examined but has not been fully tested for accuracy.

   
   
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   
   

   The information present in these files is provided for the purposes of statistical analysis and census operations only.  Coordinates in the TIGER/Line files have six implied decimal places, but the positional accuracy of these coordinates is not as great as the six decimal places suggest.  The positional accuracy varies with the source materials used, but generally the information is no better than the established national map Accuracy standards for 1:100,000-scale maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); thus it is NOT suitable for high-precision measurement applications such as engineering problems, property transfers, or other uses that might require highly accurate measurements of the earth's surface.  The USGS 1:100,000-scale maps met national map accuracy standards and use coordinates defined by the North American Datum, 1983.  For the contiguous 48 States, the cartographic fidelity of most of the Redistricting Census 2000 TIGER/Line files, in areas outside the 1980 census Geographic Base File/Dual Independent map Encoding (GBF/DIME) file coverage and selected other large metropolitan areas, compare favorable with the USGS 1:100,000-scale maps.  The Census Bureau cannot specify the accuracy of features inside of what was the 1980 GBF/DIME-File coverage or selected metropolitan areas.  The Census Bureau added updates to the TIGER/Line files that enumerators annotated on maps sheets prepared from the Census TIGER data base as they attempted to traverse every street feature shown on the Census 2000 map sheets; the Census Bureau also made other corrections from updated map sheets supplied by local participants for Census Bureau programs.  The locational accuracy of these updates is of unknown quality.  In addition to the Federal, State, and local sources, portions of the files may contain information obtained in part from maps and other materials prepared by private companies.  Despite the fact the TIGER/Line data positional accuracy is not as high as the coordinate values imply, the six-decimal place precision is useful when producing maps.  The precision allows features that are next to each other on the ground to be placed in the correct position, on the map, relative to each other, without overlap.

   
   
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   
   
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   
   

   Data completeness of the TIGER/Line files reflects the contents of the Census TIGER data base at the time the TIGER/Line files (Redistricting Census 2000 version) were created.

   
   
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   
   

   The feature network of lines (as represented by Record Types 1 and 2) is compete for census purposes.  Spatial objects in TIGER/Line belong to the "Geometry and Topology" (GT) class of objects in the "Spatial Data Transfer Standard" (SDTS) FIPS Publication 173 and are topologically valid.  Node/geometry and topology (GT)-polygon/chain relationships are collected or generated to satisfy topological edit requirements.  These requirements include:
   
   * Complete chains must begin and end at nodes.
   * Complete chains must connect to each other at nodes.
   * Complete chains do not extend through nodes.
   * Left and right GT-polygons are defined for each complete chain element and are consistent throughout the extract process.
   * the chains representing the limits of the files are free of gaps.
   
   The Census Bureau performed automated tests to ensure logical consistency and limits of files.  All polygons are tested for closure.  The Census Bureau uses its internally developed Geographic Update System to enhance and modify spatial and attribute data in the Census TIGER data base.  Standard geographic codes, such as FIPS codes for states, counties, municipalities, and places, are used when encoding spatial entities.  The Census Bureau performed spatial data tests for logical consistency of the codes during the compilation of the original Census TIGER data base files.  Most of the Codes themselves were provided to the Census Bureau by the USGS, the agency responsible for maintaining FIPS 55. Feature attribute information has been examined but has not been fully tested for consistency.
   

   
   

See ESRI Data Disclaimer here: http://www.esri.com/data/download/census2000_tigerline/disclaimer.html

Acknowledgment of the U.S. Bureau of the Census would be appreciated for products derived from these files.  TIGER, TIGER/Line, and Census TIGER are registered trademarks of the Bureau of the Census.

Who distributes the data set?


Bruce Godfrey
Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse
GIS Specialist
Box 442350
Moscow, Idaho 83844-2350
USA


208.885.6463 (voice)
bgodfrey@uidaho.edu


What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?


Downloadable Data


What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?


Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the Idaho Geospatial Data Clearinghouse, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.


How can I download or order the data?


• Availability in digital form:




Data format:	in format ESRI Shapefile (.shp) Size: 64.188
Network links:	http://data.insideidaho.org/data/IGDC/archive/TIGER2000/colblk00_id_igdc.tgz



• Cost to order the data: None



Is there some other way to get the data?


What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

Box 442350