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Map Layer Info

     
 
Urban Areas of the United States

What this map layer shows:

Generalized 'footprints' of built-up areas.
opens the U.S. Geological Survey home page
Background Information
Sample map Sample Map
The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (now known as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) and equivalent agencies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom collected data for the 1994 Digital Chart of the World (DCW), which includes many data layers. The DCW was designed for a wide range of military, scientific, and educational applications. Included in the DCW is an urban areas layer, which shows areas of built-up land where large populations exist. The U.S. Geological Survey compiled this map layer from the DCW urban areas information, with supplemental information from the National Atlas Cities and Towns map layer.

The Urban Areas of the United States map layer shows the built-up areas of the 50 United States. Military reservations are not included. Descriptive information includes the name of the urban area and codes identifying the State(s) in which the area falls.

 


Raw Data Download
Urban Areas