GIS Data Layers Downloadable GIS data layers

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Title
  
Announcement Date
  
Release Updates11/9/2026
​The NCDOT GIS Unit is pleased to announce release of the GIS Data layers on the GIS unit webpage specified below for 2026 3rd Quarter Publication. 2026 4th Quarter Publication is scheduled for release in February 2027.

1. Rail Division data for Crossings, Track and Facility locations have been updated.

2. Structure/Bridge/Deck data have been updated.

3. Road Characteristics, Road Arcs and Road Routes layers are updated and include both System and Non-System routes. The HighwayExit point feature class is included in the Road Characteristics File Geodatabase.

4. Road Characteristics layer has a new field/column, "SpeedLimitID," which captures how the speed limit was derived for the specified segment. Processing updates were also made to correct speed limit on opposite inventory segments.​

5. Route Data Updated this Quarter:
This layer is a visual representation of public roads in North Carolina.  System roads (state maintained) are current through September 2026 for changes by NCDOT Petitions and Municipal Agreements process.

All represented non-system roads are maintained by local governments and are reflective of the last uploaded datasets. Non-system roads specifically updated this quarter:

Avery, Bertie, Buncombe, Caldwell, Caswell, Chowan, Clay, Davidson, Durham, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Hertford, Hyde, Lenoir, Lincoln, Nash, New Hanover, Pamlico, Pender, Rowan, Scotland, Vance, Wilson counties.​

For more detailed information about available NCDOT data and possible known data issues, please see document  ​​NCDOT GIS Unit Announcement​.

If you have any questions, please contact gishelp@ncdot.gov​.​

NCDOT GIS Quarter Publication Calendar Starting 202512/17/2024

See changes to quarter designations in the NCDOT GIS Data Publication Calendar 2025​

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Title
  
Road Characteristics Arcs
An Arc Layer for visual representation of a subset of road characteristics for the state road systems. Each arc/record is split where road characteristics change along a route. This is a digital file of the North Carolina Department of Transportation's road inventory database that represents a subset of road characteristic attributes of the NCDOT state road system. The state road system is comprised of Interstate, US, NC, Secondary Routes, and Ramps. This layer also includes all non-state maintained and projected roads that are required for reporting purposes. Uncompressed GDB file size: ~ 610 MB​

  
Review the following before downloading the Road Characteristics files:




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Release: 2026 Quarter 3
Statewide System & Non-System Road Arcs
An Arc Layer for visual representation of the state road system where each arc/record is split at each road intersection. This is a digital file of the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Linear Referencing System that represents the routes and attributes of the NCDOT state road system. The state road system is comprised of Interstate, US, NC, Secondary Routes, and Ramps and all non-state maintained and projected roads required for reporting purposes. Uncompressed GDB file size: ~442.9 ​MB



Release: 2026 Quarter 3
Statewide System & Non-System Road Routes
A Route Layer for visual representation of attributes stored by County/Route/Milepost linear reference. This is a digital file of the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Linear Referencing System that represents the routes and attributes of the NCDOT state road system. The state road system is comprised of Interstate, US, NC, Secondary Routes, and Ramps and all non-state maintained and projected roads required for reporting purposes. Uncompressed GDB file size: ~ 235.9 MB






Release: 2026 Quarter 3
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MPO/RPO Boundaries

Polygons depicting the various MPO and RPO planning area boundaries, covering the entire state of North Carolina. The MPOs are responsible for establishing and maintaining MPA boundaries to include the entire urban area (UA) boundary identified in the latest decennial Census and contiguous geographic area likely to become urbanized within 20 years. All boundary adjustments are approved by the NCDOT and submitted to the FHWA Division Office(s). RPOs are responsible for establishing and maintain planning area boundaries for transportation planning in rural North Carolina areas not within an MPO.​

This version (2026) addresses the following change: New Bern Area MPO has been updated to Craven County MPO.​


Release: 2026
Smoothed 2020 Census Urbanized Boundaries

Polygon layer representing the smoothed boundaries for the 2020 Census urban areas in North Carolina. The boundaries were originally generated by the US Census Bureau and have been adjusted (smoothed) by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, in cooperation with North Carolina’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations.The population estimates for all of the boundaries have been updated using the 2024 Standard Population Estimates from the Office of State Budget Management, the 2023-2024 NCDOT Municipal Boundaries, and the 2020 Census block data. 



Release: 2026 (Revised)
County Boundaries

Polygon layer representing County Boundaries developed by North Carolina Geodetic Survey to facilitate planning, siting, and impact analysis in the 100 individual counties of North Carolina. 



Release: 2026 (Revised)
NCDOT Division Boundaries
Polygon layer representing the NCDOT Division boundaries.​​

DOT Division Boundary​


Release: 2026 (Revised)
County Boundaries with Shoreline
Polygon layer representing county boundaries for use in depicting the boundaries with a shoreline.​


Release: 2026 (Revised)
Municipal Boundaries
Polygon layer primarily consisting of municipalities that participate in the Powell Bill.​



Release: 2026: Powell Bill Fiscal Year 2024-2025
Title
  
Release
  
NCDOT Bridges & Other Structures 2026 Quarter 3

The Structures point layer contains all features previously found in the NCDOTBridgeLocations dataset, plus 3 types of signs currently maintained by the NCDOT Structures Management Unit.


The Structures polygon layer contains representations of bridge decks, culverts/pipes and other non-sign structures that carry traffic and are matched, to the best extent possible, to the State imagery provided by NC CGIA and found on NCOneMap.com.

NCDOT Rail Division Data2026 Quarter 3
Railroad layers from the NCDOT Rail Division including track, crossings and facility data.

The track dataset includes current in-service rail track as well as NCDOT-owned rail track. The crossings dataset includes public rail crossings , both at grade and grade separated.  The facility dataset includes Amtrak station, Amtrak bus stops, yards, intermodal facilities and transload locations.  The track, crossing and facilities layers can be downloaded individually as shapefiles or as a single geodatabase.


**For GIS data on the CATS Lynx Blueline Track and Stations, refer to the City of Charlotte's Open Data Portal:   https://data.charlottenc.gov/​
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