North Carolina Primary and Secondary Road Network, 2023

A 2023 TIGER/Line shapefile from the U.S. Census Bureau containing the network of primary and secondary roads for North Carolina. The data includes MAF/TIGER Feature Classification Codes (MTFCC) to distinguish between primary (S1100) and secondary (S1200) road types, representing a seamless extract from the national Master Address File/Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database.

Use Cases

• Calculate road network density and connectivity metrics using the linear geometry of primary (MTFCC S1100) and secondary (MTFCC S1200) roads.
• Analyze the spatial distribution of limited-access highways versus main arterial roads by filtering on the MTFCC feature classification codes.
• Perform routing analysis for North Carolina using the topological integrity of the road centerline features to ensure no overlaps or gaps.
• Integrate road geometry with address range data from related .dbf files for geocoding applications within the state.

Strengths

• Data is topologically integrated, representing a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts.
• Includes specific MAF/TIGER Feature Classification Codes (MTFCC S1100 and S1200) to precisely distinguish road types.
• Produced by the authoritative U.S. Census Bureau, ensuring standardized geographic and cartographic information.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to primary and secondary roads, excluding local streets, trails, and other transportation features.
• Contains only 2023 data, which may not reflect recent road construction, closures, or changes.
• As a shapefile extract, it may require GIS software for full utilization, and attribute details beyond core classification are unknown.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database.

Time Range

2023

Freshness

Data reflects the 2023 TIGER/Line release, with metadata last updated on August 10, 2025.

Geography

State of North Carolina, United States.