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How are the TIGER/Line Shapefiles different from the Cartographic Boundary Files?

April 26, 2017Boundary cartographic different files line shapefiles Tiger

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How are the TIGER/Line Shapefiles different from the Cartographic Boundary Files?

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Unlike the Cartographic Boundary Files, the shapefiles are NOT generalized. The Cartographic Boundary Files are generalized extracts from our geographic database and are designed primarily for small scale thematic mapping. If you overlay the generalized Cartographic Boundary Files over the TIGER/Line Shapefiles, the boundaries will not precisely line up because of the generalization. The Cartographic Boundary Files are also clipped back to the shoreline of the U.S, while the TIGER/Line Shapefiles show the full extent of geography out to the 3-mile limit of coastal water. The shapefiles also are available down to the block level, whereas the Cartographic Boundary Files are only available down to the block group.