Downloading Geographic Boundary Shapefiles from the U.S. Census Bureau

Downloading geographic boundary shapefiles from the U.S. Census Bureau is straightforward. Here's how to do it for any location in the United States. This is also a simple way to get "study area" shapefiles for Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM).

1. Open American FactFinder (http://factfinder.census.gov)

2. Click on "Advanced Search" (menu options at the top of the screen)

3. Search for a geography in the "state, county, or place" text box (E.g. Newark city, New Jersey)

4. Click on "Geographies" tab on the left side of the webpage, then click on the "Maps" tab

5. Download the boundary shapefile by clicking the "Download" button on the toolbar at the right side of the webpage. In the "Download" window that appears, click the "Shapefiles" radio button under the "Spatial Data formats" section. Then click the "OK" button. Once downloaded, the file will be projected and ready to use. You can upload it directly into a GIS or use it with RTMDx for Risk Terrain Modeling.

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Video Tutorial for Downloading Boundary Shapefiles