A filenaming scheme has been implemented on this site to make the boundary files easily and accurately identifiable and to conform to the limited-length filenaming conventions for different platforms and GIS applications.
The zipped boundary files you download from this site follow the proceeding filename convention: Geographic Area Abbreviation + State FIPS Code_Census Activity Code (if applicable) + Vintage_File Format Abbreviation followed by a .zip extension. Vintage for Congressional District files is indicated by Congress number.
After files have been downloaded and unzipped, the .zip extension and the file format abbreviation are dropped and the proper file format extension is appended. Unzipping an ARC/INFO Export file produces a single file with an .e00 extension. An unzipped Arcview Shapefile is composed of a .shp file, a .shx file, and a .dbf file. Unzipping an ARC/INFO Ungenerate (ASCII) file produces 2 .dat files. One is the polygon coordinate file, the other is the polygon attribute file. For more information on ASCII files see the ASCII Metadata Page.
The table below provides a complete list of the file name components and gives examples of complete file names.
Geographic Area |
Abbreviation |
FIPS Codes
(State FIPS = 01-78,
National File=99) |
Vintage (Last 2 Digits of
Year)
d Indicates Decennial Census Activity |
Example of Boundary File Name
and Associated
ZIP File Name |
Alaska Native Regional Corporations
|
an
|
02
|
d00
|
an02_d00.e00
an02_d00_e00.zip
|
American Indian Areas/Alaska Native Areas/Hawaiian Home Lands
(No Hawaiian Home Lands for 1990)
|
na for 2000 files
ir for 1990 files
|
02,99
|
d00,d90
|
na99_d00.shp
na99_d00.shx
na99_d00.dbf
na99_d00_shp.zip
|
Tribal Subdivisions
|
ts
|
99
|
d00
|
ts99_d00.dat
ts99_d00a.dat
ts99_d00_ascii.zip
|
Census Block Groups
|
bg
|
01-78
|
d00,d90
|
bg06_d90.e00
bg06_d90_e00.zip
|
Census Divisions
|
dv
|
99
|
d00
|
dv99_d00.e00
dv99_d00_e00.zip
|
Census Regions
|
rg
|
99
|
d00
|
rg99_d00.e00
rg99_d00_e00.zip
|
Census Tracts
|
tr
|
01-78
|
d00,d90
|
tr42_d90.e00
tr42_d90_e00.zip
|
Congressional Districts
|
cd
|
01-78,99
|
108th,107th,106th,105th,104th,103rd
Congresses
|
cd24_107.e00
cd24_107_e00.zip
|
Consolidated Cities
|
cc
|
99
|
d00
|
cc99_d00.e00
cc99_d00_e00.zip
|
County & County Equivalent Areas
|
co
|
01-78,99
|
d00,d90
|
co15_d90.e00
co15_d90_e00.zip
|
County Subdivisions
(MCDs/CCDs/Barrios)
|
cs
|
01-78
|
d00,d90
|
cs32_d00.e00
cs32_d00_e00.zip
|
Incorporated Places/Census Designated Places
|
pl
|
01-78
|
d00,d98,d90
|
pl72_d90.e00
pl72_d90_e00.zip
|
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
|
ma
|
99
|
99,90
|
ma99_99.e00
ma99_99_e00.zip
|
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas
|
cm for 1999 files
cmsa for 1998 and 1996 files
|
99
|
99,98,96,90
|
cm99_99.e00
cm99_99_e00.zip
cmsa_98.e00
cmsa_98_e00.zip
|
Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas
|
pm
|
99
|
99,90
|
pm99_99.e00
pm99_99_e00.zip
|
Central Cities
|
ce
|
99
|
d00
|
ce99_d00.e00
ce99_d00_e00.zip
|
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Statistical
Areas
|
cm_sa
|
99
|
98,96
|
cm_sa_96.e00
cm_sa_96_e00.zip
|
Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Statistical
Areas
|
pm_sa
|
99
|
98,96
|
pm_sa_98.e00
pm_sa_98_e00.zip
|
New England County Metropolitan Areas
|
ne
|
99
(New England States)
|
d00
|
ne99_d00.e00
ne99_d00_e00.zip
|
Oregon Urban Growth Areas
|
ou
|
99
|
d00
|
ou99_d00.e00
ou99_d00_e00.zip
|
Public Use Microdata Areas
1 Percent
|
p1
|
01-56, 72
|
d00
|
p101_d00.e00
p101_d00_e00.zip
|
Public Use Microdata Areas
5 Percent
|
p5
|
01-56, 72
|
d00
|
p501_d00.e00
p501_d00_e00.zip
|
School Districts - Elementary
|
se
|
01-56
(26 States Total)
|
d00
|
se25_d00.e00
se25_d00_e00.zip
|
School Districts - Secondary
|
ss
|
01-56
(18 States Total)
|
d00
|
ss29_d00.e00
ss29_d00_e00.zip
|
School Districts - Unified
|
sn
|
01-72
|
d00
|
sn32_d00.e00
sn32_d00_e00.zip
|
State & State Equivalent Areas
|
st
|
01-78,99
|
d00,d90
|
st66_d90.e00
st66_d90_e00.zip
|
State Legislative Districts -
Lower/House
|
sl
|
01-56
(39 States Total)
|
d00
|
sl37_d00.e00
sl37_d00_e00.zip
|
State Legislative Districts -
Upper/Senate
|
su
|
01-56
(40 States Total)
|
d00
|
su17_d00.e00
su17_d00_e00.zip
|
Subbarrios
(Puerto Rico only)
|
sb
|
72
|
d00
|
sb72_d00.e00
sb72_d00_e00.zip
|
Traffic Analysis Zones
|
tz
|
01-56
(48 States Total)
|
d00
|
tz34_d00.e00
tz34_d00_e00.zip
|
Tribal Block Groups
|
tb
|
99
|
d00
|
tb99_d00.e00
tb99_d00_e00.zip
|
Tribal Census Tracts
|
tt
|
99
|
d00
|
tt99_d00.e00
tt99_d00_e00.zip
|
Urbanized Areas
|
ua
|
02,15,72,99
|
d00,d90
|
ua02_d90.e00
ua02_d90_e00.zip
|
Voting Districts
|
vt
|
01-72
(Not All States)
|
d00
|
vt34_d00.e00
vt34_d00_e00.zip
|
5-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
|
zt
|
01-72
|
d00
|
zt36_d00.e00
zt36_d00_e00.zip
|
3-Digit ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
|
z3
|
01-72,99
|
d00
|
z399_d00.e00
z399_d00_e00.zip
|