The Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) boundary is the line that includes the entire existing urbanized area defined by the United States Census, plus the areas expected to urbanize in the next 20 years. These areas are the basis for long-range and short-range transportation plans required by Federal law.After each Census, Federal rules require that ARC and local governments redraw the boundary. Being included in the MPA means those local governments can apply for federal funding through the TIP process and become eligible for funding under the Livable Centers Initiative, the comprehensive transportation plan, and other ARC projects. Following the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau designated a revised Atlanta Urbanized Area(UA) based on 2020 Census data. The Atlanta UA includes all or part of 20 counties, down from the 23 counties designated following the 2010 Census. These 20 include Barrow, Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton counties.The Census applied new, stricter criteria in determining whether a census tract was urban or rural. In some places, this has meant that the Atlanta UA appears to have gotten smaller. For this reason, Pike County is no longer included in either the Atlanta Urbanized Area or the new MPA boundary. The Atlanta UA also no longer extends into Carroll County, though the new MPA boundary will include part of Carroll County as detailed below. The parts of Jackson County previously included in the Atlanta UA are now classified with the Gainesville UA. Adjacent to the Atlanta UA are the Cartersville and Gainesville UAs. These areas are represented by their own metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). By previous formalagreement, ARC has assigned transportation planning responsibilities for the portion of the Atlanta UA in Bartow County to the Cartersville-Bartow Metropolitan Planning Organization (CBMPO).By similar previous formal agreement, ARC has assigned transportation planning responsibilities for the portions of the Atlanta UA in Hall and Jackson counties to the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO), while GHMPO has assigned transportation planning responsibilities for the portions of the Gainesville UA in Forsyth and Gwinnett counties to ARC. These agreements will be updated to reflect new geographies andnecessary agreements following the 2020 Census.Data from the 2020 Census identified a new Winder Urban Area existing in Barrow,Gwinnett, and Walton counties. With a population of 50,189, the Winder UA exceeds the threshold of 50,000 established by Federal law to be designated as its own MPO. Conversations continue between ARC, the State, the City of Winder, and Barrow County about whether the City and County will form their own MPO; Federal law requires agreementbetween the two bodies. Until and unless Winder and Barrow County elect to form an MPO, they shall remain part of ARC. Should a Winder MPO be created, the new agreement between ARC and GHMPO will also need to include the new Winder MPO and divide transportation planning responsibilities in Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall, and Walton counties between the three agencies. ARC has developed the attached revised Metropolitan Planning Area through discussions with planning partners.• Like before, the new MPA boundary continues to contain the ARC’s 11-county region (Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale) in its entirety, as well as the entirety of Coweta and Paulding counties.• Newton County is now included in the new MPA boundary in its entirety to account for significant growth along Interstate 20 in the Covington and Stanton Springs areas.• Barrow County is also now included in the new MPA boundary in its entirety until and unless the City of Winder and Barrow County form their own MPO.• While the Atlanta UA was reduced in Spalding County, and a separate Griffin UA identified that does not meet the minimum threshold to form its own MPO, the new MPA boundary expands to include all of Spalding County to account for expected growth along Interstate 75, US 19-41, and State Route 16.• In Dawson County, the new MPA boundary accounts for population growth along Lake Lanier.• In Walton County, the new MPA boundary includes areas that the Census has designated as urban, as well as the cities of Monroe and Social Circle.• Carroll County is no longer considered part of the Atlanta Urbanized Area. The county contains two separate Urbanized Areas, Carrollton and Villa Rica, neither of which is large enough to form its own MPO. Because the City of Villa Rica is geographically divided between Carroll and Douglas counties, the City has opted to remain entirely within ARC. Accordingly, the new MPA boundary includes the portion of Villa Rica in Carroll County.

This Water Basin Dataset of HUC codes 2-12 that intersect with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District is published by the Natural Resources Department at the Atlanta Region from the Water Boundary Dataset of the National Hydrography Dataset.Description of the Water Boundary Dataset from the USGS:The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is a comprehensive aggregated collection of hydrologic unit data consistent with the national criteria for delineation and resolution. It defines the areal extent of surface water drainage to a point except in coastal or lake front areas where there could be multiple outlets as stated by the "Federal Standards and Procedures for the National Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD)" “Standard” (https://pubs.usgs.gov/tm/11/a3/). Watershed boundaries are determined solely upon science-based hydrologic principles, not favoring any administrative boundaries or special projects, nor particular program or agency. This dataset represents the hydrologic unit boundaries to the 12-digit (6th level) for the entire United States. Some areas may also include additional subdivisions representing the 14- and 16-digit hydrologic unit (HU). At a minimum, the HUs are delineated at 1:24,000-scale in the conterminous United States, 1:25,000-scale in Hawaii, Pacific basin and the Caribbean, and 1:63,360-scale in Alaska, meeting the National Map Accuracy Standards (NMAS). Higher resolution boundaries are being developed where partners and data exist and will be incorporated back into the WBD. WBD data are delivered as a dataset of polygons and corresponding lines that define the boundary of the polygon. WBD polygon attributes include hydrologic unit codes (HUC), size (in the form of acres and square kilometers), name, downstream hydrologic unit code, type of watershed, non-contributing areas, and flow modifications. The HUC describes where the unit is in the country and the level of the unit. WBD line attributes contain the highest level of hydrologic unit for each boundary, line source information and flow modifications.For more information, see https://www.usgs.gov/national-hydrography/national-hydrography-dataset

This layer was developed by the Research & Analytics Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission and represents the counties contained within the Atlanta region.Attributes:STATEFP10 = State FIPS codeCOUNTYFP10 = County FIPS codeGEOID10 = STATEFP10 + COUNTYFP10NAME10 = Name of the countyNAMELSAD10 = NAME10 + "County"totpop10 = Total population in 2010WFD = Workforce Development Area (WFD) is a seven-county area created by agreement of county chief-elected officials, administered by the Atlanta Regional Commission and funded for training and employment activities under the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). For more information on ARC’s Workforce Development programs and services please consult www.atlantaregional.com/workforce/workforce.html.RDC_AAA = ARC Area Agency on AgingMNGWPD = Metro North Georgia Water Planning DistrictMPO = The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a 19-county area federally-designated for regional transportation planning to meet air quality standards and for programming projects to implement the adopted Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The MPO planning area boundary includes the 10-county state-designated Regional Commission and nine additional counties (all of Coweta, Forsyth, & Paulding and parts of Barrow, Dawson, Newton, Pike, Spalding and Walton). This boundary takes into consideration both the current urbanized area as well as areas forecast to become urbanized in the next 20 years.MSA = Metropolitan statistical areaF1HR_NA = Federal 1-Hour Air Quality Non-Attainment AreaF8HR_NA = Federal 8-Hour Air Quality Non-Attainment AreaReg_Comm = Regional CommissionAcres = Total area in acresSq_Miles = Total area in square milesLabel = Name of the county in all capsShape.STArea() = Total area in square feetSource: Atlanta Regional CommissionDate: 2012For additional information, please visit the Atlanta Regional Commission at www.atlantaregional.com

This layer was developed by the Research & Analytics Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission and contains city and municipal boundaries for the 20 county Atlanta region and rest of state. City boundaries within the 20 county region are derived from boundaries provided by local governments and updated on a continual basis when new data are received but do not represent the most up to date in all cases. Rest of state boundaries are derived from Census boundary data and updated much less frequently. Please note that cities with multiple polygons have been merged into a single multi-part polygon to facilitate labeling and querying. Attributes:Municipality_Name Name of city or municipalityAcres Float value of AcresSq_Miles Float value of Square MilesSource: U.S. Census Bureau, GA Dept. of Community Affairs, Local Governments, Atlanta Regional CommissionFor additional information, please contact respective local governments and visit Census Bureau place data website.

This layer was developed for the 2024 Atlanta Region Freight Mobility Plan (2024 ARFMP) and published by the Atlanta Regional Commission.The 2024 ARC Freight Dashboard serves as a tool to help explain how and where freight moves. This dashboard consolidates data collected for the 2024 Atlanta Regional Freight Mobility Plan.The following list describes the layers included in the ARC Freight Dashboard. Asthma Rates (Asthma_Rates): Current asthma among adults aged greater than or equal to 18 years (percentile). Source: US Council on Environmental Quality. Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).Atlanta Airport (Atlanta_Airport): Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Environmental Justice Score (EJ_Score): Formerly referred to as Equitable Target Areas (ETA), this equity analysis model considers racial minority, ethnic minority, and low-income status as indicators of the potential inequality in the Atlanta region. Freight Clusters (_20240322_2024_ARC_Freight_Cluster_Areas): Freight clusters designated by the Atlanta Regional Commission for the 2024 ARFMP. GA_net: Expressways and Regional Truck Routes. Georgia: State of Georgia. County Boundaries (County Boundary): Atlanta region county boundaries. MPO Planning Area (MPO_Planning_Area): Atlanta metropolitan planning organization (MPO) area. MPO Planning Area Border (MPO_Planning_Area_Border): Atlanta MPO Planning Area Border. National Highway Freight Network (NHFN): The National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) is a federally designated system of highways critical to the movement of freight in the United States, including the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS), other Interstate highways not on the PHFS, critical rural and urban freight corridors, and connectors to freight facilities. North_American_Rail_Network_Lines: Rail lines in North America including attribute data. Data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ National Transportation Atlas Database. Rail Yards (Rail_yards): Rail yards in the Atlanta region. Symbolized according to yard type. Rail_Net_Clip: Rail lines in Georgia. Rail_OutsideMPO (Rail_OutsideMPO): Railroads outside the MPO boundaries. Regional Truck Routes (Regional_Truck_Routes): Regional Truck Routes are an ARC-designated network of roadways critical for accommodating and facilitating the efficient movement of freight within the region while minimizing impacts on local communities and balancing mobility and safety needs. US Counties (County_Boundary): US Counties from 2023 US Census Tiger Line files. US Water (US_Water): Waterbodies.

The 2020 cartographic boundary shapefiles are simplified representations of selected geographic areas from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). These boundary files are specifically designed for small-scale thematic mapping. When possible, generalization is performed with the intent to maintain the hierarchical relationships among geographies and to maintain the alignment of geographies within a file set for a given year. Geographic areas may not align with the same areas from another year. Some geographies are available as nation-based files while others are available only as state-based files. After each decennial census, the Census Bureau delineates urban areas that represent densely developed territory, encompassing residential, commercial, and other nonresidential urban land uses. In general, this territory consists of areas of high population density and urban land use resulting in a representation of the urban footprint. There are 2,644 Urban Areas (UAs) in this data release with either a minimum population of 5,000 or a housing unit count of 2,000 units. Each urban area is identified by a 5-character numeric census code that may contain leading zeroes. This file includes revisions made to the 2020 Census New Orleans, LA Urban Area where the territory originally delineated as the 2020 Census Laplace--Lutcher--Gramercy, LA Urban Area was combined with the 2020 Census New Orleans, LA Urban Area to form the current New Orleans, LA Urban Area. This file includes revisions made to the 2020 Census Atlanta, GA Urban Area and Gainesville, GA Urban Area, where some urban territory originally designated to the Gainesville, GA Urban Area was reassigned to the Atlanta, GA Urban Area.

Georgia Counties from Atlanta Regional CommissionNo use limitations

This layer was developed by the Natural Resources Department of the Atlanta Regional Commission. The dataset contains polygonal hydrographic features including lakes, ponds, reservoirs, swamps, and marshes in the Atlanta Region.Original data were captured from the NHDWaterbody geospatial data layer included in the High Resolution National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus HR). Features in the NHDWaterbody geospatial layer that intersected the Georgia State boundary were selected and spatially joined to Georgia county boundaries and the WBDHU8 geospatial data layer found in the U.S. Geological Survey's Watershed Boundary Dataset. Layers were spatially joined using the Largest Overlap matching method. The spatial join was removed upon calculating values for the COUNTY_FIPS, COUNTY_NAME, HUC8_ID, and HUC8_SUBBASIN attributes. The CLASS attribute was created to identify Lakes equal to or larger than 10 acres as Major and less than 0.5 acres as Minor. Data in the HYDRO_CAT and RESERVOIR_TYPE attributes were sourced from values encoded in the Feature Code (FCode) field of the NHDWaterbody geospatial data layer.Attributes:FEATURE = Type of hydrologic featureCLASS = Class used to identify major and minor waterbodiesGNIS_ID = A permanent, unique number assigned by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to a geographic feature name for the sole purpose of uniquely identifying that name application as a record in any information system database, dataset, file, or documentGNIS_NAME = The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) assigned proper name, specific term, or expression by which a particular geographic entity is known.HUC8_ID = 8-digit hydrologic unit code used to identify subbasins in the hydrologic unit systemHUC8_SUBBASIN = Subbasin name of the 8-digit hydrologic unit code in the hydrologic unit systemCOUNTY_FIPS = County Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) codeCOUNTY_NAME = County nameHYDRO_CAT = Hydrographic feature categoryRESERVOIR_TYPE = Type of reservoirACRES = Area of the feature in acresELEVATION = The vertical distance from a given datumGlobalID = A type of UUID (Universal Unique Identifier) in which values are automatically assigned by the geodatabase when a row is createdlast_edited_user = User to last edit featurelast_edited_date = Date feature was last editedShape = Feature geometryShape_Length = Length of the feature, which may differ from the field measured length due to differences in calculation. Units are map units.Shape_Area = Area of feature in map units squaredSource: U.S. Geological Survey, National Geospatial ProgramDate: 2023

This layer was developed by the Research & Analytics Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission and represents the counties bordering Forsyth County, Georgia.Attributes:Label = Name of the county in all capsCounty_Name = Name of the countyTotalPop_10 = Total population in 2010Reg_Commission = Regional CommissionAcres = Total area in acresSq_Miles = Total area in square milesShape.STArea() = Total area in square feetSource: Atlanta Regional CommissionDate: 2012For additional information, please visit the Atlanta Regional Commission at www.atlantaregional.com

This layer was developed by the Natural Resources Department of the Atlanta Regional Commission. The dataset contains polygonal hydrographic features including lakes, ponds, reservoirs, swamps, and marshes. Original data were captured from the NHDWaterbody geospatial data layer included in the High Resolution National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus HR). Features in the NHDWaterbody geospatial layer that intersected the Georgia State boundary were selected and spatially joined to Georgia county boundaries and the WBDHU8 geospatial data layer found in the U.S. Geological Survey's Watershed Boundary Dataset. Layers were spatially joined using the Largest Overlap matching method. The spatial join was removed upon calculating values for the COUNTY_FIPS, COUNTY_NAME, HUC8_ID, and HUC8_SUBBASIN attributes. The CLASS attribute was created to identify Lakes equal to or larger than 10 acres as Major and less than 0.5 acres as Minor. Data in the HYDRO_CAT and RESERVOIR_TYPE attributes were sourced from values encoded in the Feature Code (FCode) field of the NHDWaterbody geospatial data layer.Attributes:FEATURE = Type of hydrologic featureCLASS = Class used to identify major and minor waterbodiesGNIS_ID = A permanent, unique number assigned by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) to a geographic feature name for the sole purpose of uniquely identifying that name application as a record in any information system database, dataset, file, or documentGNIS_NAME = The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) assigned proper name, specific term, or expression by which a particular geographic entity is known.HUC8_ID = 8-digit hydrologic unit code used to identify subbasins in the hydrologic unit systemHUC8_SUBBASIN = Subbasin name of the 8-digit hydrologic unit code in the hydrologic unit systemCOUNTY_FIPS = County Federal Information Processing System (FIPS) codeCOUNTY_NAME = County nameHYDRO_CAT = Hydrographic feature categoryRESERVOIR_TYPE = Type of reservoirACRES = Area of the feature in acresELEVATION = The vertical distance from a given datumGlobalID = A type of UUID (Universal Unique Identifier) in which values are automatically assigned by the geodatabase when a row is createdlast_edited_user = User to last edit featurelast_edited_date = Date feature was last editedShape = Feature geometryShape_Length = Length of the feature, which may differ from the field measured length due to differences in calculation. Units are map units.Shape_Area = Area of feature in map units squaredSource: U.S. Geological Survey, National Geospatial ProgramDate: 2023

Watershed Boundaries dataset current as of 2000. This Layer was created by selecting all polygons from the national USGS watershed boundaries dataset for the state of Georgia. These "hydrologic units" were originally delineated from 7.5 minute USGS topographic quadrangles and then scanned into a digital.

This layer was published by the Atlanta Regional Commission to show geographic boundaries for ACS 2023. For boundaries with summary data, see https://opendata.atlantaregional.com/pages/census-data-arcGeographiesAAA = Area Agency on Aging (12 geographic units formed from counties providing statewide coverage)ARC21 = Atlanta Regional Commission modeling area (21 counties merged to a single geographic unit)ARWDB7 = Atlanta Regional Workforce Development Board (7 counties merged to a single geographic unit)BeltLineStatistical (buffer)BeltLineStatisticalSub (subareas)Census Tract (statewide)CFGA23 = Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (23 counties merged to a single geographic unit)City (statewide)City of Atlanta Council Districts (City of Atlanta)City of Atlanta Neighborhood Planning Unit (City of Atlanta)City of Atlanta Neighborhood Statistical Areas (City of Atlanta)County (statewide)CCDIST = County Commission Districts (statewide where applicable)CCSUPERDIST = County Commission Superdistricts (DeKalb)Georgia House (statewide)Georgia Senate (statewide)HSSA = High School Statistical Area (11 county region)MetroWater15 = Atlanta Metropolitan Water District (15 counties merged to a single geographic unit)Regional Commissions (statewide)State of Georgia (single geographic unit)Superdistrict (ARC region)US Congress (statewide)UWGA13 = United Way of Greater Atlanta (13 counties merged to a single geographic unit)ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (statewide)

The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. States and equivalent entities are the primary governmental divisions of the United States. In addition to the fifty States, the Census Bureau treats the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and each of the Island Areas (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) as the statistical equivalents of States for the purpose of data presentation.Data and schema are from the Atlanta Regional Commission open data portal.https://arc-garc.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/georgia-state-boundary

The metropolitan Atlanta Region has grown into a complex combination of county, municipality and jurisdictional boundaries. This map series reflects the various planning areas of the Atlanta Regional Commission and seeks to promote a greater understanding of our rapidly expanding region. Please refer to user notes of each map for explanation of map content and clarification of acronyms and definitions.This static map is for print at poster size. 11x17 version also available.

For more information about annexations within the City of Atlanta, see annexation information.Area Covered: Atlanta, GAKey Attributes:Case_ID: The identifier assigned when the annexation process begins.Acreage: The total acreage of the affected area.Parcels: The total number of parcels in the affected area.Status: The result of City Council's vote concerning the affected area's annexation application.County: The county that the affected area is within.Eff_Date: The date which the affected area's status becomes official.Update Frequency: Updated once an annexation case has been voted on.Source:Department of City Planning GIS55 Trinity Ave SWAtlanta, GA 30303gis-team@atlantaga.gov

State Boundaries dataset current as of 2000. Outline for the state of Georgia.

description: Cities, Towns and Villages dataset current as of 2010. This Layer contains city and municipal boundaries for the entire state of Georgia..; abstract: Cities, Towns and Villages dataset current as of 2010. This Layer contains city and municipal boundaries for the entire state of Georgia..

This layer was created by the Research & Analytics Division of the Atlanta Regional Commission to represent the rivers and streams in the state of Georgia. It contains linear hydrographic features, including rivers, streams, and artificial flow paths through water bodies. Data were captured from USGS 7.5 minute mylar separates containing the "blue-layer" from the U.S. Geological Survey's 1:24000-scale quadrangle maps. Individual quadrangles were combined and edgematched using Arc/Info GIS software, and then clipped into individual county tiles using boundary data from the Georgia Department of Transportation's 1:31360-scale County General Highway Maps.Attributes:FEATURE: Artificial Path Canal/Ditch Connector Stream/RiverFEATURE_TY: Aqueduct Area of Complex Channels Canal/Ditch Estuarine Intermittent Lake/Pond Perennial Reservoir Stream/River Swamp/Marsh UnspecifiedSTATE_FIPS = State of Georgia FIPS codeCOUNTY_FIP = County FIPS codeHUC = Hydrologic Unit CodeNAME = Name of the river or streamCLASS: Major MinorSource: USGS, Georgia DOT, Atlanta Regional CommissionDate: 1997For additional information, please visit the Atlanta Regional Commission at www.atlantaregional.com

This dataset by The Atlanta Regional Commission shows Atlanta MPO Counties.

The TIGER/Line shapefiles and related database files (.dbf) are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau's Master Address File / Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (MAF/TIGER) Database (MTDB). The MTDB represents a seamless national file with no overlaps or gaps between parts, however, each TIGER/Line shapefile is designed to stand alone as an independent data set, or they can be combined to cover the entire nation. Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a county or equivalent entity, and were defined by local participants as part of the 2010 Census Participant Statistical Areas Program. The Census Bureau delineated the census tracts in situations where no local participant existed or where all the potential participants declined to participate. The primary purpose of census tracts is to provide a stable set of geographic units for the presentation of census data and comparison back to previous decennial censuses. Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people, with an optimum size of 4,000 people. When first delineated, census tracts were designed to be homogeneous with respect to population characteristics, economic status, and living conditions. The spatial size of census tracts varies widely depending on the density of settlement. Physical changes in street patterns caused by highway construction, new development, and so forth, may require boundary revisions. In addition, census tracts occasionally are split due to population growth, or combined as a result of substantial population decline. Census tract boundaries generally follow visible and identifiable features. They may follow legal boundaries such as minor civil division (MCD) or incorporated place boundaries in some States and situations to allow for census tract-to-governmental unit relationships where the governmental boundaries tend to remain unchanged between censuses. State and county boundaries always are census tract boundaries in the standard census geographic hierarchy. In a few rare instances, a census tract may consist of noncontiguous areas. These noncontiguous areas may occur where the census tracts are coextensive with all or parts of legal entities that are themselves noncontiguous. For the 2010 Census, the census tract code range of 9400 through 9499 was enforced for census tracts that include a majority American Indian population according to Census 2000 data and/or their area was primarily covered by federally recognized American Indian reservations and/or off-reservation trust lands; the code range 9800 through 9899 was enforced for those census tracts that contained little or no population and represented a relatively large special land use area such as a National Park, military installation, or a business/industrial park; and the code range 9900 through 9998 was enforced for those census tracts that contained only water area, no land area.