DC Square Boundaries: Cadastral Blocks for Property Records

Approximately 4896 active squares represent the outer extents of tax lots within defined areas, typically city blocks, in Washington D.C. Squares are numbered starting at 1 and are currently in the 6000 series, with some becoming inactive through street closings and combinations. The data is provided by the District of Columbia and was last updated on March 25, 2026.

Use Cases

• Mapping approximate property lot extents based on the square boundary concept.
• Analyzing changes in cadastral blocks based on the described process of square combination and inactivation.
• Visualizing the spatial distribution of city blocks for urban planning studies.
• Integrating with other property datasets using the square as a geographic reference unit.

Strengths

• Approximately 4896 active squares provide a defined spatial unit for property records.
• Multiple file formats (KML, GeoJSON, CSV) offer flexibility for different GIS tools.
• Data is licensed under CC-BY-4.0, allowing for open reuse.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Spatial accuracy is described as approximate ('best fit') and not based on a citywide survey coordinate system.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

District of Columbia

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 08:34:21.211640; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Washington D.C.