OVERVIEW

MassGIS derived the boundaries of the 14 counties in Massachusetts from the community boundaries datalayers. Three statewide layers are available:

• COUNTIES_POLY - contains the 1:100,000 coastline (from the TOWNS coverage); single-part polygons, with each county comprising one or more features.
  
• COUNTIES_POLYM - contains the 1:100,000 coastline (from the TOWNS coverage); multi-part polygons, with one feature per county.
  
• COUNTYNC_POLY - contains the full municipal boundaries extending offshore (from the BOUNDARIES coverage)

For locations of the counties please see the Counties Index Map: Image | PDF

Using ARC/INFO, the TOWNS and BOUNDARIES layers were dissolved based on the FIPS_STCO field for the COUNTIES_POLY and COUNTIESNC_POLY layers, respectively.

The COUNTIES_POLYM layer was produced in August, 2007, using ArcGIS 9.2 by dissolving the COUNTIES_POLY layer on unique FIPS_ID/COUNTY combinations, with summary statistics for AREA_ACRES.

COUNTIES_POLY and COUNTIES_POLYM contain these items: 

FIPS_ID		Federal Information Processing Standard state/county code
COUNTY		County name
AREA_ACRES		County area in acres

COUNTYNC_POLY contains these items:

FIPS_COUNTY		the unique identifier for each quad corner
FIPS_ID		Federal Information Processing Standard state/county code
COUNTY		County name

The FIPS_ID - County pairs are as follows:

FIPS_ID		COUNTY
25001		BARNSTABLE
25003		BERKSHIRE
25005		BRISTOL
25007		DUKES
25009		ESSEX
25011		FRANKLIN
25013		HAMPDEN
25015		HAMPSHIRE
25017		MIDDLESEX
25019		NANTUCKET
25021		NORFOLK
25023		PLYMOUTH
25025		SUFFOLK
25027		WORCESTER

MassGIS is maintaining these layers. Middlesex, Franklin, Hampden, and Worcester Counties have been dissolved by the state Legislature. The Franklin Regional Council Of Governments has banded as a volunteer organization to include towns of the former county.

Last Updated 5/30/2007
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