Dutchess County NY Topological Faces with Census Geocodes

Topological Faces shapefile from the U.S. Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER System for Dutchess County, New York. It contains polygon primitives with unique identifiers (TFID) and key geographic area codes used for building 2020 Census and survey geographies. The data is part of a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps.

Use Cases

• Dissolve face geometries on key geographic area codes like Census Tract Number or County Subdivision Fips Code to reconstruct official Census geographic boundaries.
• Analyze spatial relationships between different administrative units by joining face attributes such as Congressional District Code and Elementary School District Local Education Agency.
• Build a geographic lookup system for Dutchess County using the unique topological face identifier (TFID) linked to attributes like 5 digit zip code tabulation area code and Block Group.

Strengths

• Data originates from the authoritative U.S. Census Bureau MAF/TIGER System, ensuring national consistency and topological integrity.
• Includes key geographic area codes for all areas used in 2020 Census tabulation and annual surveys, providing comprehensive census linkage.
• Part of a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between geographic parts, guaranteeing geometric accuracy for analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column count, and file size are unknown, making it difficult to assess the dataset's scale and structure.
• The description and tags are highly technical, requiring significant GIS and census geography expertise for effective use.
• Data is specific to Dutchess County, NY, limiting broader geographic analysis without combining other county files.

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) System.

Time Range

Current data; includes codes for 2020 Census and annual estimates/surveys.

Freshness

Last updated 2025-12-24, indicating very recent maintenance.

Geography

Dutchess County, New York, United States.