This dataset represents the official 2025 political boundary for the State of Texas, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line Shapefiles. It serves as the primary administrative framework for the Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG) at The University of Texas at Austin to support the planning, coordination, and execution of geologic mapping initiatives.

The layer provides a standardized spatial extent for statewide resource assessments, ensuring that all geologic features—such as stratigraphic units, tectonic structures, and hydrogeologic boundaries—are aligned with the legal jurisdictional limits current as of January 1, 2025. By utilizing FIPS code 48, this layer facilitates seamless data integration between state-level geologic research and federal geospatial standards. It is intended for use in high-level project planning, regional site selection, and the creation of index maps for the Texas Statemap Program.