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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 MAF/TIGER geographic database. 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.
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 [338 MB] | geodatabase [226 MB]
1 : 5,000,000 (national) shapefile [8.2 MB] | geodatabase [4.8 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.
Census Block Groups
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [87 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Census Tracts
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [50 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
Counties within Urban Areas
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [9.5 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
County Subdivisions
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [38 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 [20 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs)
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [9.4 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
School Districts
School Districts - Elementary
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [2.0 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 [23 MB]
1 : 500,000 (state) shapefile
1 : 500,000 (state) KML
State Legislative Districts
State Legislative Districts - Lower Chamber
1 : 500,000 (national) shapefile [17 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
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