-------- Original Message -------- Subject: RE: zip code data Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:41:52 +0000 From: Kollen, Chris <[log in to unmask]> To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]> Hi Vince: I’m not sure why she wants the actual zip code files instead of the ZCTA. This is great information and I thought maybe the carrier routes were for internal use. I'll let her know. Thanks Chris -----Original Message----- From: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 8:21 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: zip code data -------- Original Message -------- Subject: zip code data Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:09:35 -0500 From: [log in to unmask] To: Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship <[log in to unmask]> Our office defines the ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) at the Census Bureau, as well as all the other geographic areas other than metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. ZCTAs have two big advantages, they allow easy use of our demographic and housing data, and they are free. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is a wealth of information, but they are a for-profit entity. They do have carrier route shapefiles, but they are only for their internal use. The USPS is developing plans to have actual ZIP Code shapefiles, but they will have a cost and I am not aware of a schedule for their release. There are private companies like Maponics that have ZIP Code shapefiles, but again they are for a cost. Vince Osier, Branch Chief Geographic Standards & Criteria Branch Geography Division U.S. Census Bureau Washington, DC -----"Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: ----- To: [log in to unmask] From: "Angie Cope, American Geographical Society Library, UW Milwaukee" Sent by: "Maps, Air Photo, GIS Forum - Map Librarianship" Date: 11/15/2012 09:05AM Subject: zip code data -------- Original Message -------- Subject: zip code data Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:44:07 +0000 From: Kollen, Chris <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Hi: I need some help finding zip code data. A UA student who is working on a GIS project is looking for a shapefile of zip code data, . She is looking for is the actual zip code data and not the zip code tabulation areas (that’s easy to find through the census bureau). She wants the actual postal routes. I couldn’t see anything obvious on the Post Office website, but they would be the original source. I’m not sure how easy it is to get data from them. Thanks for any advice or leads! Chris Kollen *From:*Leigh B Perry [mailto:lperry <mailto:[log in to unmask]>@email.arizona.edu <mailto:[log in to unmask]>] *Sent:* Wednesday, November 14, 2012 2:40 PM *To:* Kollen, Chris *Subject:* data question Hi! I'm a current UA student, working on a GIS project that will require a shapefile of zip code data. So far, I've had no luck finding a source, and I wondered whether there might be a zip code shapefile in the University library's data holdings. While there are lots of things on the Internet which purport to be zip code data, most of them are polygon data of questionable origin and processing. The actual zip code data would be linear, because it consists of postal routes. Thanks, Leigh Perry