1990 County Boundaries: Map Layer Description File

This map layer portrays the 1990 county boundaries of the United States. County names and Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) codes are two significant pieces of information associated with every polygon in this map layer. The information in the map layer was compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey from a variety of sources.

Download this map layer in Shapefile format.

Download this map layer in SDTS format.


Metadata

What follows is very detailed technical information about this map layer. This is often called metadata. Metadata (or "data about data") describe the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of data. Metadata are used to organize and maintain investments in data, to provide information to data catalogs and clearinghouses, and to aid data transfers. The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) publishes the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata. Many organizations within and outside of the federal government have adopted the FGDC metadata standard and are using automated indexing and serving mechanisms to provide access to their holdings through the Internet. Visit the FGDC Clearinghouse to learn more about how metadata is used in clearinghouses and to search for other data sets.

• Identification Information
• Data Quality Information
• Spatial Data Organization Information
• Spatial Reference Information
• Entity and Attribute Information
• Distribution Information
• Metadata Reference Information

Identification Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication_Date: 1998

Title: County Boundaries of the United States, 1990

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

 

Description:

Abstract:

This data set portrays the 1990 State and county boundaries of the United States.

Purpose:

The digital data sets of the National Atlas are used to create electronic and hard copy maps that depict various aspects of the nation. The data can be used to conduct geographic analysis on National and large regional scales. The digital data will provide a basis from which future revisions of the atlas can be derived.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 1990

Currentness_Reference: ground condition

 

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

 

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: 172

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 72

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 18

 

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: boundaries

Theme_Keyword: counties

Theme_Keyword: county boundaries

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1995, Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 10-4): Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Place_Keyword: United States

 

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of The United States, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard 5-2): Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Place_Keyword: USA

Place_Keyword: Alaska

Place_Keyword: Alabama

Place_Keyword: Arkansas

Place_Keyword: Arizona

Place_Keyword: California

Place_Keyword: Colorado

Place_Keyword: Connecticut

Place_Keyword: Delaware

Place_Keyword: Florida

Place_Keyword: Georgia

Place_Keyword: Hawaii

Place_Keyword: Idaho

Place_Keyword: Iowa

Place_Keyword: Illinois

Place_Keyword: Indiana

Place_Keyword: Kansas

Place_Keyword: Kentucky

Place_Keyword: Louisiana

Place_Keyword: Maine

Place_Keyword: Massachusetts

Place_Keyword: Maryland

Place_Keyword: Michigan

Place_Keyword: Minnesota

Place_Keyword: Missouri

Place_Keyword: Mississippi

Place_Keyword: Montana

Place_Keyword: North Carolina

Place_Keyword: North Dakota

Place_Keyword: Nebraska

Place_Keyword: New Hampshire

Place_Keyword: New Jersey

Place_Keyword: New Mexico

Place_Keyword: Nevada

Place_Keyword: New York

Place_Keyword: Ohio

Place_Keyword: Oklahoma

Place_Keyword: Oregon

Place_Keyword: Pennsylvania

Place_Keyword: Rhode Island

Place_Keyword: South Carolina

Place_Keyword: South Dakota

Place_Keyword: Tennessee

Place_Keyword: Texas

Place_Keyword: Utah

Place_Keyword: Vermont

Place_Keyword: Virginia

Place_Keyword: Wisconsin

Place_Keyword: Washington

Place_Keyword: West Virginia

Place_Keyword: Wyoming

 

Access_Constraints: None

 

Use_Constraints:

None. Acknowledgment of the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived from these data.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Bruce Wright

Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 521 National Center

City: Reston

State_or_Province: VA

Postal_Code: 20192

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-4528

 

Native_Data_Set_Environment: ESRI Shapefile format

Data Quality Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

No additional checks for topological consistency were performed on this data set.

Completeness_Report:

This data set includes county boundaries for the entire United States.

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: U.S. Geological Survey

Publication_Date: 1998

Title: COUNTYP020

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Type_of_Source_Media: online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 1972

Ending_Date: 1996

Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: COUNTYBD

Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

The COUNTYBD file was modified to reflect the 1990 county boundaries for the United States. The following changes were made: In Alaska, the Skagway-Hoonah-Angoon Census Area and Yakutat Borough were combined to create the Skagway- Yakutat-Angoon Census Area. Also, Denali Borough was combined with the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. In Virginia, the polygon for South Boston was added.

Process_Date: 1998

Spatial Data Organization Information:

Indirect_Spatial_Reference:

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas, (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 5-2): Washington, D. C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1990, Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 6-4): Washington, D.C. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

 

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: Ring composed of chains

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 5996

Spatial Reference Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 0.000278

Longitude_Resolution: 0.000278

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal Degrees

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: GRS1980

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity and Attribute Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label:

County Boundaries of the United States, 1990; CO1990P020

Entity_Type_Definition:

A county is the second order division of a nation and includes parishes, boroughs, judicial divisions, and independent cities in Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virigina

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition:

The representation of the entity in the data.

Attribute_Definition_Source: GIS Software

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: Polygon

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition:

2-dimensional element

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source:

GIS software

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Area

Attribute_Definition: The size of the shape in coverage units.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.000

Range_Domain_Maximum: 79.415

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Perimeter

Attribute_Definition:

The perimeter of the shape in coverage units.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.012

Range_Domain_Maximum: 87.571

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Co1990p020

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 2

Range_Domain_Maximum: 5997

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Co1990p020

Attribute_Definition: User-assigned feature number

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 1

Range_Domain_Maximum: 5996

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: State

Attribute_Definition:

The 2-letter abbreviation for the State in which the county is located.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Codeset_Domain:

Codeset_Name:

Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas, FIPS 5-2, 1987.

Codeset_Source:

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: County

Attribute_Definition:

The name of the County or County equivalent.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Codeset_Domain:

Codeset_Name:

Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-4, 1990.

Codeset_Source:

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Fips

Attribute_Definition:

The 5-digit FIPS code of the County or County equivalent.

Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Codeset_Domain:

Codeset_Name:

Counties and Equivalent Entities of the United States, Its Possessions, and Associated Areas, FIPS 6-4, 1990.

Codeset_Source:

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Distribution Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Bruce Wright

Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 521 National Center

City: Reston

State_or_Province: VA

Postal_Code: 20192

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-4528

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: bwright@usgs.gov

Distribution_Liability:

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the U.S. Geological Survey regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

Metadata Reference Information:

Metadata_Date: 19981027

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Bruce Wright

Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 521 National Center

City: Reston

State_or_Province: VA

Postal_Code: 20192

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-4528

Metadata_Standard_Name:

FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Security_Information:

Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None

Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified

Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None

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