Newsroom Archive

April 1st Is Census Day!

Those who haven't completed their Census 2000 questionnaire are urged to spend a few minutes on Saturday, April 1 — Census Day — to fill out their form and mail it back, taking part in a civic event that benefits every U.S. resident.

Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt says, "Half of the nation's households have returned their forms already. It only takes a few minutes, and your answers are confidential. In addition, your answers will have an impact on the nation's future during the entire first decade of the 21st century."

While April 1 is designated as Census Day, forms will be accepted for some days after that. In late April, census workers will begin contacting households that did not return their form. These follow-up calls and visits add to the overall cost of conducting the census.

April 1 has been designated by law as Census Day since 1930. Before that, Census Day fell on different days. Severe weather conditions experienced during the 1920 census led to the establishment of a single date when the weather in most areas would be temperate enough to allow enumerators to travel on their rounds.

The public may view the latest response rates for the nation, states, counties and cities on the Census Bureau's Web site (https://www.census.gov). The rates will be updated daily at 6 p.m. through April 11, with a final posting on April 18.

Census Bureau Media Fact Sheet

1790 — 1990

Year	Census Day
1790	First Monday in August, 1790
1800	First Monday in August, 1800
1810	First Monday in August, 1810
1820	First Monday in August, 1820
1830	June 1, 1830
1840	June 1, 1840
1850	June 1, 1850
1860	June 1, 1860
1870	June 1, 1870
1880	June 1, 1880
1890	June 1, 1890
1900	June 1, 1900
1910	April 15, 1910
1920	January 1, 1920
1930	April 1, 1930
1940	April 1, 1940
1950	April 1, 1950
1960	April 1, 1960
1970	April 1, 1970
1980	April 1, 1980
1990	April 1, 1990