Downloads
.zip containing:
- statewide Shapefiles
- ArcGIS layer file (.lyr) based on MAF/TIGER feature code
- Address Locator for ArcMap
- Locator package for ArcGIS Pro 3 (use the Extract Package tool and specify an output folder to unpack the files)
Overview
The intended dual purpose of MassGIS’ efforts in processing this data is to both create a geocoding resource that can supplement the point addressing data available in the Master Address Database, and compile a comprehensive set of Census Bureau road features for map display, query, and analysis, particularly when used with other 2020 Census data.
MassGIS distributes two feature classes:
CENSUS2020TIGERROADS_ARC_GC - Full set of linear road features that may be used for geocoding addresses (aka "address matching").
CENSUS2020TIGERMAJROADS_ARC - Primary and secondary roads for fast small and medium scale map display. This data layer does not contain address ranges and may not be used for geocoding purposes.
Methodology
MassGIS generated linear road features attributed with street names, address ranges, and other useful information from a combination of Census Bureau layers. A full list of the various Census 2020 TIGER/Line layers available for download can be found in this summary.
From this list, the following are most related to roads and addresses:
- ADDR – Address Range Relationship File
- ADDRFEAT – Address Range Feature
- ADDRFN – Address Range-Feature Name Relationship
- EDGES – All Lines
- PRIMARYROADS – Primary Roads
- PRISECROADS – Primary and Secondary Roads
- ROADS – All Roads
PRIMARYROADS, PRISECROADS, and ROADS are inadequate because they lack address range information. ADDR and ADDRFN contribute to ADDRFEAT, which does include address ranges and street names. ADDRFEAT is described as follows in the technical documentation:
(from 4.12.4 Address Ranges) “The address range feature shapefile contains all the address range to street name relationships in the address range feature name relationship file. The address range feature shapefile also contains all possible relationships between the address range county-based relationship file (see Appendix R-1) and the ‘all lines’ shapefile. The address range feature shapefile will result in better geocoding match rates compared with using the ‘all lines’ shapefile.”
(from 5.1.3 Geocoding) “To get the best match results, the Census Bureau advises users to use the address range feature shapefile (ADDRFEAT.shp) to geo-reference/geocode addresses. Address ranges in the MTDB may separate into multiple address ranges on the same edge (e.g., ZIP Code differences or to establish gaps created by address anomalies located elsewhere). Some address ranges may also include embedded alphanumeric characters or hyphens that make them distinct from the other address ranges on the same edge side. The ADDRFEAT.shp contains all the address range to edge and street name relationships for a county to increase the number of potential geocoding matches.”
Unfortunately, ADDRFEAT excludes any street segments that are not associated with any address ranges, resulting in a street network full of gaps. To provide full geographic coverage and eliminate these gaps, segments in the EDGES (‘all lines’) layer that aren’t in ADDRFEAT, have no Massachusetts address ranges**, and are classified as street features were identified and appended to the ADDRFEAT segments. Since the EDGES layer includes lines that are not streets, street feature classification was determined by the segments’ MAF/TIGER Feature Class Codes (MTFCC) described here and the selection was limited to those associated with a “Road/Path Features” Superclass. Their MTFCC code always starts with “S”. Five arcs on Nantucket coded as S1830 were removed.
Both the ADDRFEAT and EDGES layer are only available from the Census Bureau in county-based files, so MassGIS downloaded all Massachusetts county files for each layer and merged them into statewide datasets. Prior to the append into ADDRFEAT, pairs of EDGES street segments that are also county boundaries and were duplicated by the county file merge had one segment in the pair removed when all attributes other than county ID were identical. Additionally, these files were projected into the standard MassGIS data library projection (Massachusetts State Plane NAD 1983 Mainland, Meters). The final hybrid layer of statewide streets derived from both ADDRFEAT and EDGES is named CENSUS2020TIGERROADS_ARC_GC.
Most attributes native to the ADDRFEAT layer were kept intact to facilitate interaction with other Census data. PLUS4L and PLUS4R were deleted because they weren’t populated for any segments. EDGE_MTFCC was also deleted because only 3 segments had values different from ROAD_MTFCC, and those 3 values indicated that the segments were classified as “Nonvisible Linear Legal/Statistical Boundaries” as well as being streets. Additional geographic identifiers useful in geocoding were added and populated via relationships to other Census layers processed by MassGIS.
MassGIS created an Address Locator in ArcMap 10.8 for use in linear geocoding and is included in the download at the top of this page. Input addresses will require a street number and name, and also a town/city name or 5-digit ZIP Code.
MassGIS recommends using our Address Points, as they will produce a better result due to the presence of aliases, landmarks and the like.
MassGIS created the major roads layer by dissolving the primary and secondary road classes in the full statewide line feature class on FULLNAME, ROAD_MTFCC, and FEATURE_TYPE.
** The hybrid product contains approximately 350,000 segments from ADDRFEAT and approximately 216,000 segments from EDGES. The street features from EDGES appended into ADDRFEAT will never have any information recorded in ARIDL, ARIDR, and LINEARID. None of the street features from EDGES have Massachusetts address ranges recorded, but there are 7 segments from EDGES with ranges recorded in RFROMADD and RTOADD along the state border for addresses in neighboring states.
Attributes
Attributes native to ADDRFEAT:
| Field | Length | Type | Description |
| TLID | 10 | Integer | Topological Line Identifier. It relates to the TLID attribute in the 2020 Census All Lines (EDGES) layer and is the unique ID of a segment, but can appear more than once in this roads data product when multiple sets of different attributes are associated with the same segment, resulting in stacked arcs. |
| TFIDL | 10 | Integer | Topological Faces Identifier on the left of the edge. It relates to the TFID attribute in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| TFIDR | 10 | Integer | Topological Faces Identifier on the right of the edge. It relates to the TFID attribute in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| ARIDL | 22 | String | Left side Address range identifier. It relates to the ARID attribute in the 2020 Census Address Range-Feature Name (ADDRFN) file. |
| ARIDR | 22 | String | Right side Address range identifier. It relates to the ARID attribute in the 2020 Census Address Range-Feature Name (ADDRFN) file. |
| LINEARID | 22 | String | Linear feature identifier. It identifies the linear feature name and relates the address range back to the 2020 Census Feature Names Relationship (FEATNAMES) file. |
| FULLNAME* | 100 | String | Street name associated with the segment. Comprised of the concatenation of expanded text for the prefix qualifier, prefix direction, prefix type, base name, suffix type, suffix direction, and suffix qualifier (as available) with a space between each expanded text field. |
| LFROMHN | 12 | String | From House Number associated with the address range on the left side of the edge (SIDE=L) |
| LTOHN | 12 | String | To House Number associated with the address range on the left side of the edge (SIDE=L) |
| RFROMHN | 12 | String | From House Number associated with the address range on the right side of the edge (SIDE=R) |
| RTOHN | 12 | String | To House Number associated with the address range on the right side of the edge (SIDE=R) |
| ZIPL | 5 | String | ZIP code associated with the left address range |
| ZIPR | 5 | String | ZIP code associated with the right address range |
| ROAD_MTFCC* | 5 | String | MAF/TIGER Feature Class Code of related linear feature record. Full definitions can be found in https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/reference/mtfccs2020.pdf. |
| PARITYL | 1 | String | Left side Address Range Parity. ‘E’ = EVEN, ‘O’ = ODD, ‘B’ = BOTH |
| PARITYR | 1 | String | Right side Address Range Parity. ‘E’ = EVEN, ‘O’ = ODD, ‘B’ = BOTH |
| LFROMTYP | 1 | String | Left side From address range end type. If the value is “I” and the address range is an imputed value calculated by the Census Bureau at a split point then this field is loaded. Otherwise, the field is blank. |
| LTOTYP | 1 | String | Left side To address range end type. If the value is “I” and the address range is an imputed value calculated by the Census Bureau at a split point then this field is loaded. Otherwise, the field is blank. |
| RFROMTYP | 1 | String | Right side From address range end type. If the value is “I” and the address range is an imputed value calculated by the Census Bureau at a split point then this field is loaded. Otherwise, the field is blank. |
| RTOTYP | 1 | String | Right side To address range end type. If the value is “I” and the address range is an imputed value calculated by the Census Bureau at a split point then this field is loaded. Otherwise, the field is blank. |
| OFFSETL | 1 | String | Flag to designate if left side address range is on offset edge |
| OFFSETR | 1 | String | Flag to designate if right side address range is on offset edge |
Additional attributes populated by MassGIS:
| FEATURE_TYPE* | 100 | String | Description of the type of street feature represented by the segment. Populated via relationship with ROAD_MTFCC code. |
| LENGTH_FT | Double | Length of the segment, calculated in feet. | |
| TRACT20_L | 15 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, and TRACTCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID value of the 2020 Census tract on the left side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDL in this data and TFID in the Census FACES layer. |
| TRACT20_R | 15 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, and TRACTCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID value of the 2020 Census tract on the right side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDR in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| BLKGRP20_L | 15 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, TRACTCE20, and BLKGRPCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID value of the 2020 Census block group on the left side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDL in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| BLKGRP20_R | 15 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, TRACTCE20, and BLKGRPCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID value of the 2020 Census block group on the right side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDR in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| BLOCK20_L | 20 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, TRACTCE20, and BLOCKCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID20 value of the 2020 Census block on the left side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDL in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| BLOCK20_R | 20 | String | The concatenation of STATEFP20, COUNTYFP20, TRACTCE20, and BLOCKCE20 in the 2020 Census FACES layer, representing the GEOID20 value of the 2020 Census block on the right side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between TFIDR in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| COUSUBFP_L | 5 | String | The county subdivision FIPS code associated with the left side of the street segment. In Massachusetts, county subdivision FIPS codes represent unique Census IDs assigned to towns and cities. Populated via relationship between TFIDL in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| COUSUBFP_R | 5 | String | The county subdivision FIPS code associated with the right side of the street segment. In Massachusetts, county subdivision FIPS codes represent unique Census IDs assigned to towns and cities. Populated via relationship between TFIDR in this data and TFID in the 2020 Census FACES layer. |
| TOWN_L | 25 | String | The official city/town name associated with the left side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between COUSUBFP_L in this data and COUSUBFP in the 2020 Census COUSUB layer. |
| TOWN_R | 25 | String | The official city/town name associated with the right side of the street segment. Populated via relationship between COUSUBFP_R in this data and COUSUBFP in the 2020 Census COUSUB layer. |
| TOWN_ID_L | 3 | Short Integer | The town ID assigned to the official city/town name associated with the left side of the street segment. Populated via lookup to MassGIS towns data. |
| TOWN_ID_R | 3 | Short Integer | The town ID assigned to the official city/town name associated with the right side of the street segment. Populated via lookup to MassGIS towns data. |
* = Indicates fields in the major roads layer.