Digital Maps and Geospatial Data | Princeton University

U.S. Census Urban Areas represents the 2010 Census urban areas in the United States. An urban area comprises a densely settled core of census tracts and/or census blocks that meet minimum population density requirements, along with adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses as well as territory with low population density included to link outlying densely settled territory with the densely settled core. To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of which reside outside institutional group quarters. The U.S. Census Bureau identifies two types of urban areas—Urbanized Areas (UA) of 50,000 or more people and Urban Clusters (UC) of at least 2,500 and less than 50,000 people. The U.S. Census Bureau delineates urban areas that represent densely developed territory, encompassing residential, commercial, and other non-residential 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."