# Population Centers - Active Transportation Division

Metadata also available as

### Metadata:

- Identification_Information
- Data_Quality_Information
- Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
- Spatial_Reference_Information
- Entity_and_Attribute_Information
- Distribution_Information
- Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Publication_Date: 20211130
Title: Population Centers - Active Transportation Division
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Other_Citation_Details:
"Census Designated Places (2020)" data obtained from the Washington State Department of Financial Management who derived it from the Census 2020 TIGER/Line files. Incorporated (city/town) geography derived from the Washington State Department of Transportation's geospatial dataset: "City Limits of Washington State, 2023." "Washington State City Urban Growth Areas" data collected from Washington's 39 counties and published by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Office of the Chief Information Officer-Geospatial Program, last updated in May 2023.
Description:
Abstract:
Per RCW 47.04.010, "population center" includes incorporated cities and towns, including their urban growth areas, and census-designated places in Washington State. The WSDOT Population Center dataset combines the WSDOT Incorporated City Limits dataset (May 2021) with the Office of Financial Management’s Census Designated Places (2020 Census) Dataset. Identification of Population Centers enables WSDOT to address the Complete Streets requirement under RCW 47.04.035 and to otherwise identify locations prioritized in the 2021 WSDOT Active Transportation Plan (ATP). WSDOT may also recognize other developed areas as exhibiting land use patterns consistent with the definition of population center, that are not currently captured by this data layer.This data layer assists WSDOT in prioritizing active transportation improvements in areas where people congregate and access destinations, and where travel distances between destinations align with typical distances travelled by users of pedestrian and bicycle modes. These areas are a priority because they serve the broadest range of users and potential users of the transportation system, including the very young, very old, and people with disabilities. In this dataset, each Population Center includes information for the “Place Name”, the “Place Type” (city/town, Urban Growth Area outside of city limits, or Census Designated Place), and whether or not the Population Center intersects a State Route (“yes” indicates that there is an intersection with a State Route, “no” indicates that there is no intersection.). The dataset will be updated as needed. Please direct questions about the Population Centers dataset to: Grace.Young@wsdot.wa.gov.
Purpose:
To aid in the implementation of the Complete Streets requirement and prioritization of active transportation improvements in areas where people congregate and access destinations, and where travel distances between destinations align with typical distances travelled by users of pedestrian and bicycle modes.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20200101
Currentness_Reference: Source data is from 2020, and 2021
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -124.695652
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -116.846673
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.030133
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 45.504765
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme_Keyword: planningCadastre
Theme_Keyword: transportation
Theme_Keyword: boundaries
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: WA
Place_Keyword: USA
Temporal:
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Temporal_Keyword: 2021
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
For Planning use only. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shall not be liable for any activity involving the use of the data, including, but not limited to, lost profits or savings or any other economic or consequential damages. Nor does the WSDOT warrant the fitness of the data for use for a particular purpose, or the installation of the data, its use, or the results obtained.To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Data User shall hold harmless, defend at its own expense, and indemnify WSDOT, its officers, employees, agents, and volunteers, against any and all liability, claims, losses, damages, or expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising from all acts or omissions of the Data User or its officers, agents, or employees in its use of the WSDOT data.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Washington State Department of Transportation, Active Transportation Division
Contact_Person: Brian Wood
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: physical
Address: 310 Maple Park Ave Se
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98501
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 360-705-7385
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: brian.d.wood@wsdot.wa.gov
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: WSDOT, Active Transportation Division
Contact_Person: Grace Young
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: grace.young@wsdot.wa.gov
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: WSDOT, Active Transportation Division
Contact_Person: Brian Wood
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: brian.d.wood@wsdot.wa.gov
Data_Set_Credit: Washington State Department of Transportation
Native_Data_Set_Environment: Version 6.2 (Build 9200) ; Esri ArcGIS 10.9.1.28388
Data_Quality_Information:
Logical_Consistency_Report: Unknown
Completeness_Report: Unknown
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Combine geometries from Populated Places (OFM, 2020) with City Limits (WSDOT, August 2021).
Process_Date: 20211021
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Washington State Department of Transportation
Contact_Person: Julie Jackson
Contact_Position: GIS Business Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: PO Box 47384
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98504
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 360-596-8919
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: julie.jackson@wsdot.wa.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The OnHighwayNetwork attribute was calcualted to = "Yes" if the any portion of the Population Centers geometry intersected any portion of State Routes of Washington State 1:24,000, Increasing Direction (WSDOT 2020) or State Routes of Washington State 1:24,000, Decreasing Direction (WSDOT 2020) spatial datasets. All geometries that did not intersect a mainline portion of the State Highway System were calculated to = "No". State Highway Ramps were not included in the calculation.
Process_Date: 20211021
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Washington State Department of Transportation
Contact_Person: Julie Jackson
Contact_Position: GIS Business Analyst
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: PO Box 47384
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98504
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 360-596-8919
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: julie.jackson@wsdot.wa.gov
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 864
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: NAD 1983 HARN StatePlane Washington South FIPS 4602 Feet
Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
Standard_Parallel: 45.83333333333334
Standard_Parallel: 47.33333333333334
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -120.5
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 45.33333333333334
False_Easting: 1640416.666666667
False_Northing: 0.0
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 0.0003280833333333333
Ordinate_Resolution: 0.0003280833333333333
Planar_Distance_Units: foot_us
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: D North American 1983 HARN
Ellipsoid_Name: GRS 1980
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.0
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222101
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: PopulationCenters_ATD
Entity_Type_Definition: Esri geospatial dataset
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Julie Jackson
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: OBJECTID
Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape
Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.
Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: PlaceName
Attribute_Definition:
The common name of the location, as recognized by the US Census Bureau.
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Unique feature name
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: PlaceType
Attribute_Definition:
Place Type describes what data source defined the place as a population center. "City/Town" represents incorporated cities and towns, "Urban Growth Area" represents designated growth management boundaries outside of incorporated city limits, and "Census Designated Place" represents unincorporated places.
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: City/Town, Urban Growth Area, Census Designated Place
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: OnHighwayNetwork
Attribute_Definition:
Indicates if the Populated Place has an intersection with the State Highway System. "Yes" indicates that the Population Center intersects a State Highway (Interstate, US Route, or State Highway). "No" indicates that there is no intersection with the State Highway network.
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: YesNo
Codeset_Source: Unknown
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape.STArea()
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape.STLength()
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Washington State Department of Transportation, Office of Information Technology
Contact_Person: Jordyn Mitchell
Contact_Position: GIS Database Administrator
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing
Address: PO Box 47430
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98504-7430
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 360-705-7645
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: mitchejo@wsdot.wa.gov
Distribution_Liability: See access and use constraints information.
Standard_Order_Process:
Fees: none
Ordering_Instructions:
Download individual data sets from http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/geodatacatalog/default.htm
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20260602
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Washington State Department of Transportation, Active Transportation Division
Contact_Person: Brian Wood
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: physical
Address: 310 Maple Park Ave Se
City: Olympia
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98501
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 360-705-7385
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: brian.d.wood@wsdot.wa.gov
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Tue Jun 2 15:54:28 2026