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A Massachusetts Farmers’ Marketi s a public market for the primary purpose of connecting, and mutually benefiting, Massachusetts farmers, communities and shoppers while promoting and selling products grown and raised by participating farmers.
This Farmers' Markets GIS layer is derived from the Farmers’ Markets database maintained by the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources. The Department provides technical assistance to individuals and groups trying to start a farmers' market, helps farmers find appropriate farmers' markets to participate in, and encourages consumers to patronize farmers' markets through various publications, including the MassGrown Map, which also pulls data from the Farmers’ Markets database.
As well as basic information about the markets, this data layer includes information about participation in the food assistance programs Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program(FMNP) (see Attributes below). Women, Infants and Children Cash Value Vouchers (WIC-CVV) are not currently redeemable at farmers markets.
This data layer is named FARMERSMARKETS_PT. The data are current as of June 5, 2023. DAR will provide updates to MassGIS at regular intervals each year.
The GIS data includes all known farmers markets. The vast majority of farmers’ markets accepts some combination of EBT-SNAP, WIC-CVV, or WIC and Senior Coupons, and are thereby included in the Department’s database. The department also sends out an annual survey to all known market managers, which captures most farmers' markets that do not participate in any of these three programs. There are still likely to be some markets that are created without DAR's knowledge, markets may discontinue, and attribute values will change. It may take some time for DAR to learn of these changes. Occasionally a market’s location is unknown and cannot be included. Once verified the market usually will be included in the next update.
The DAR database is updated continually, and the MassGIS layer is updated at least once per year. If you would like more up-to-date data, please contact Evan Marshall.
There are four mobile farmers markets, based in Lowell, Somerville, Springfield, and Worcester. Only one location is included for each of these four markets. For more information about their other locations, contact David Webber.
General farmers’ market information can be found at http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/agr/markets/farmers-markets/. For more information about dates, times, and locations of the farmers’ markets, or for more information about WIC and Senior FMNP, SNAP, or WIC CVV programs, contact David Webber, at 617-626-1754 or by email at david.webber@state.ma.us. To obtain the most current data, contact Evan Marshall by email at Evan.Marshall2@mass.gov
This point datalayer shows the locations of institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Sites appearing in this layer are those normally attended by students after completion of high school. Types are public and private, and categories include co-ed, vocational, technical, religious, medical, and traditional 2- and 4-year colleges and universities. This layer was developed by MassGIS and is primarily based on all Massachusetts colleges listed in the National Center for Education Statistics website as of March 12, 2018. Additional schools were added from lists of professional occupational/vocational institutions compiled by the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation Division of Professional Licensure.
Data sources:
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/09/27/schools.pdf
Individual college websites were also consulted to verify locations and other material. MassGIS geocoded site addresses and verfied them using current ortho imagery.
A few institutions have multiple campuses, as distinct from satellite locations. For example, Harvard School of Business and Harvard Medical School are campuses within Harvard University, and a point is included in this dataset for each. Some satellite campuses may not be included. For example, Northeastern University conducts classes in satellite locations such as Milford High School. Since Milford High School is a separate educational facility, it is not considered to be a Northeastern University campus, and a point is not included in this layer.
The layer is stored in ArcSDE and distributed as COLLEGES_PT.
For pre-kindergarten through high school educational facilities, see the SCHOOL_PT layer.
Massachusetts is blessed with over 1,200 miles of seashore and hundreds of lakes, ponds, and streams. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA) in the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is charged with providing access to these many waterways. Presently, the agency oversees boat and canoe launch sites at more than 200 coastal and inland locations in Massachusetts. The principal source for this layer has been Public Access to the Waters of Massachusetts, published by the OFBA. Additional sites have been digitized from USGS topographic quadrangles. In ArcSDE the layer is named OFBA_PT. With the January 2008 release it replaces the Public Access Board Sites (PAB_PT) layer.
Assessor's parcel data for town of Amherst, MA. Developed from existing digital data. 20180821. Map and CAMA data updated March 2023.
2020 Census tabulation blocks are polygons representing the smallest statistical areas used by the Census Bureau to compile and present demographics. They can be used in conjunction with associated Census demographics for visual presentation of those demographics and analysis. MassGIS acquired this data from the Census Bureau's website, projected it into Massachusetts State Plane NAD83 (meters), incorporated a generalized coastline, and added a few extra attributes to facilitate anticipated user needs.
The National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) data incorporates all Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) databases published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and any Letters Of Map Revision (LOMRs) that have been issued against those databases since their publication date. It is updated on a monthly basis. The FIRM Database is the digital, geospatial version of the flood hazard information shown on the published paper FIRMs.
The FIRM Database depicts flood risk information and supporting data used to develop the risk data. The primary risk classifications used are the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event, the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood event, and areas of minimal flood risk. The FIRM Database is derived from Flood Insurance Studies (FISs), previously published FIRMs, flood hazard analyses performed in support of the FISs and FIRMs, and new mapping data, where available. The FISs and FIRMs are published by FEMA.
The NFHL is available as State or US Territory data sets. Each State or Territory data set consists of all FIRM Databases and corresponding LOMRs available on the publication date of the data set.
The specification for the horizontal control of FIRM Databases is consistent with those required for mapping at a scale of 1:12,000. This file is georeferenced to the Earth's surface using the Geographic Coordinate System (GCS) and North American Dataum of 1983 (NSRS-2007).
The data in this layer, named FEMA_NFHL_POLY, include data published by FEMA as of July 2, 2023(Latest Study Effective Date = 06/21/2023; Latest LOMR Effective Date = 11/28/2022).
The protected and recreational open space datalayer contains the boundaries of conservation lands and outdoor recreational facilities in Massachusetts. The associated database contains relevant information about each parcel, including ownership, level of protection, public accessibility, assessor’s map and lot numbers, and related legal interests held on the land, including conservation restrictions. Conservation and outdoor recreational facilities owned by federal, state, county, municipal, and nonprofit enterprises are included in this datalayer. Not all lands in this layer are protected in perpetuity, though nearly all have at least some level of protection.
Although the initial data collection effort for this data layer has been completed, open space changes continually and this data layer is therefore considered to be under development. Additionally, due to the collaborative nature of this data collection effort, the accuracy and completeness of open space data varies across the state’s municipalities. Attributes, while comprehensive in scope, may be incomplete for many parcels.
The OpenSpace layer includes two feature classes:
OPENSPACE_POLY - polygons of recreational and conservation lands as described above
OPENSPACE_ARC - attributed lines that represent boundaries of the polygons
These feature classes are stored in an ArcSDE feature dataset named OPENSPACE that includes ArcGIS geodatabase topology.
OPENSPACE_POLY - The following types of land are included in this datalayer:
conservation land- habitat protection with minimal recreation, such as walking trails
recreation land- outdoor facilities such as town parks, commons, playing fields, school fields, golf courses, bike paths, scout camps, and fish and game clubs. These may be privately or publicly owned facilities.
town forests
parkways - green buffers along roads, if they are a recognized conservation resource
agricultural land- land protected under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) and administered by the state Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR, formerly the Dept. of Food and Agriculture (DFA))
aquifer protection land - not zoning overlay districts
watershed protection land - not zoning overlay districts
cemeteries - if a recognized conservation or recreation resource
forest land -- if designated as a Forest Legacy Area
This layer shows four existing facility types: shared use paths, bike lanes, separated bike lanes and bicycle/pedestrian priority roadways. The inventory is primarily from MassDOT's 2020 dataset and includes all state-owned infrastructure as well as facilities under local jurisdiction. Linework has been adjusted in some places to be more accurate based on DCR Trails, Open Street Map, and MassGIS 2021 Orthoimagery.
The Long Distance Trails line data layer represents trails that are longer than 25 miles. The data were created for the purpose of regional planning and mapping by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM), now the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and was modified for the DEM by the University of Massachusetts in 1997. DCR updated most of the trails with more accurate source data in 2015.
This line feature class is named LONGDISTTRAILS_ARC.
This dataset represents all roads and trails identified on Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation - Division of State Parks and Recreation properties (as well as some of the Urban Parks - eventually all of these properties will be integrated into this dataset). Field work was conducted during the years 2005 to 2015 by independent contractors and DCR staff. Five types of roads and trails were identified (public roads, forest roads/trails, trails, administrative roads and other) as well as attributes for surface, width, condition, vehicular access, trail marking and legal status.
This updates the dataset released by MassGIS on 3/18/2014.
This dataset consists of 2-dimensional roof outlines ("roofprints") for all buildings larger than 150 square feet, as initially interpreted by a contractor (Rolta) for the whole area of the Commonwealth using DigitalGlobe ortho images obtained in 2011 and 2012, supplemented with LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data collected from 2002 to 2011 for the eastern half of the state.
The roofprints as delivered by Rolta were enhanced by MassGIS using Normalized Digital Surface Models (NDSMs) derived from the same LiDAR data. Other layers were used, including the Standardized Parcels, to aid in review, especially where LiDAR data were not available.
In 2019, MassGIS refreshed the data to a baseline of 2016 and continues to update features using newer aerial imagery that allows MassGIS staff to remove, modify and add structures to keep up with more current ground conditions. Structures from the original compilation that are removed are stored in an "archive" feature class for edit tracking and historical purposes. Also in 2019, MassGIS replaced the polygons in Boston with data from the city. In March 2021, the layer was updated with 2017 and 2018 structure review edits along with the first data edits compiled atop spring 2019 imagery. Updates based on 2019 imagery were completed in July 2021. Updates based on 2019 imagery were completed in August 2022. Updates based on 2021 imagery were completed in October 2023.
Last updated on 11/1/2023.
In ArcSDE the layer is named STRUCTURES_POLY. It is updated periodically from STRUCTURES_POLY_V, which is registered as versioned for editing.
This layer represents all the public and many of the private roadways in Massachusetts, including designations for Interstate, U.S. and State routes.
Formerly known as the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) Roads, then the Executive Office of Transportation - Office of Transportation Planning (EOT-OTP) Roads, the MassGIS-MassDOT Roads layer includes linework from the 1:5,000 road and rail centerlines data that were interpreted as part of the 1990's Aerial Imagery project. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation - Office of Transportation Planning, which maintains the primary source for this layer, continues to add linework from municipal and other sources and update existing linework using the most recent aerial ortho imagery as a base. The attribute table includes many "road inventory" fields maintained in MassDOT's linear referencing system. See the Attributes section below for more details.
The current MassGIS-MassDOT hybrid data layer was first published in November 2018, based on the MassDOT 2017 year-end Road Inventory layer and results of a 2014-2015 MassDOT-Central Transportation Planning Staff project to conflate street names and other attributes from MassGIS' "base streets" to the MassDOT Road Inventory linework. The base streets are continually maintained by MassGIS as part of the NextGen 911 and Master Address Database (MAD) projects. MassGIS staff reviewed the conflated layer and added many base street arcs digitized after the completion of the conflation work. MassGIS added several fields to support legacy symbology and labeling. Other edits included modifying some linework in areas of recent construction and roadway reconfiguration to align to 2017-2018 Google ortho imagery, and making minor fixes to attributes and linework. MassGIS continues to modify the layer as needed.
In ArcSDE this layer is named EOTROADS_ARC.
From this data layer MassGIS extracted the Major Roads and Major Highway Routes layers.
The MassDEP Hydrography layer is an enhanced version of the 1:25,000 Hydrography datalayer. It represents hydrographic (water-related) features, including surface water (lakes, ponds, and reservoirs), wetlands, bogs, flats, rivers, streams, and others (see below).
The layer is a hybrid of data based on USGS Digital Line Graphs (DLGs), scanned mylar separates obtained from the USGS, digitized hydrographic features from paper USGS 1:25,000 Topographic Quadrangle maps and data extracted from the MassDEP Wetlands datalayer. Areas within many surface water supply watersheds have been enhanced by using higher resolution streams and lakes from the MassDEP Wetlands datalayer, many areas have also been field verified. This layer is intended as an interim product that will be incorporated into the USGS's National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) when funding and resources become available. If you are interested in providing data, funding, field work, or becoming part of an NHD working group, please contact Tara Manno Richer of the MassDEP GIS Program by email at tara.manno@mass.gov.
Full metadata available at https://docs.digital.mass.gov/dataset/massgis-data-massdep-hydrography-125000
The MassDEP Wetlands dataset comprises two ArcGIS geodatabase feature classes:
The WETLANDSDEP_POLY layer contains polygon features delineating mapped wetland resource areas and attribute codes indicating wetland type.
The WETLANDSDEP_ARC layer was generated from the polygon features and contains arc attribute coding based on the adjacent polygons as well as arcs defined as hydrologic connections.
Together these statewide layers enhance and replace the original MassDEP wetlands layers, formerly known as DEP Wetlands (1:12,000). It should be noted that these layers provide a medium-scale representation of the wetland areas of the state and are for planning purposes only. Wetlands boundary determination for other purposes, such as the Wetlands Protection Act MA Act M.G.L. c. 131 or local bylaws must use the relevant procedures and criteria.
The original MassDEP wetlands mapping project was based on the photo-interpretation of 1:12,000, stereo color-infrared (CIR) photography, captured between 1990 and 2000, and included field verification by the MassDEP Wetlands Conservancy Program (WCP). In 2007 the MassDEP WCP began a statewide effort to assess and where necessary update the original wetlands data. The MassDEP WCP used ESRI ArcGIS Desktop software, assisted by the PurVIEW Stereo Viewing extension, to evaluate and update the original wetlands features based on photo-interpretation of 0.5m, (1:5,000) digital stereo CIR imagery statewide, captured in April 2005. No field verification was conducted on this updated 2005 wetlands data.
The 2005 WETLANDSDEP_POLY layer includes polygon features that distinguish it from its predecessor by overall changes in size and shape. In addition, new polygons have been created and original ones deleted. Many of the polygons, however, remain the same as in the original layer. All changes have been made according to the techniques described below. For the purpose of cartographic continuity, a small number of coastal polygons outside the state boundary where added based on data provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The 2005 WETLANDSDEP_ARC layer was generated to support map display and was designed to cartographically enhance the rendering of wetland features on a base map. Arc features in this layer were generated from the wetland polygons and coding (ARC_CODE) was assigned based on the adjacent polygon types. Hydrologic connection features (ARC_CODE = 7) were then added. Where delineated, these arc features indicate an observed hydrologic connection to or between wetland polygons. Although efforts were made to be comprehensive and thorough in mapping hydrologic connections, due to the limitations of aerial photo-interpretation some areas may have been missed.
The types of updates made to the original wetland features include alteration, movement/realignment and reclassification. In some cases original wetland areas have been deleted and new areas have been added. Updates to original wetland features resulted from the following factors: changes in the natural environment due to human activity or natural causes; advances in the field of remote sensing, allowing for more refined mapping.
Edit changes to the original wetland data include:
Addition of new wetland and hydrologic connection features
Appending (expansion or realignment) of existing (original) wetland and hydrologic connection features
Reclassification of wetlands features, due to change in wetlands environment from the original classification
Movement (or shifting) of original wetland features to better match the source imagery
Deletion of original wetland or hydrologic connection features due to changes in wetlands environment or inconsistency with mapping criteria.
Please note that although efforts were made to be comprehensive and thorough in the evaluation and mapping of statewide wetland resources some areas of the state may have been missed. Many of the wetland and hydrologic connection features remain the same as in the original data. The polygon attribute SOURCE_SCALE may be used to identify areas that have been altered from the original wetlands. The SOURCE_SCALE code 5000 indicates an updated wetland area. The SOURCE_SCALE code 12000 indicates an unaltered, original wetland polygon.
The protected and recreational open space datalayer contains the boundaries of conservation lands and outdoor recreational facilities in Massachusetts. The associated database contains relevant information about each parcel, including ownership, level of protection, public accessibility, assessor’s map and lot numbers, and related legal interests held on the land, including conservation restrictions. Conservation and outdoor recreational facilities owned by federal, state, county, municipal, and nonprofit enterprises are included in this datalayer. Not all lands in this layer are protected in perpetuity, though nearly all have at least some level of protection.
Although the initial data collection effort for this data layer has been completed, open space changes continually and this data layer is therefore considered to be under development. Additionally, due to the collaborative nature of this data collection effort, the accuracy and completeness of open space data varies across the state’s municipalities. Attributes, while comprehensive in scope, may be incomplete for many parcels.
The OpenSpace layer includes two feature classes:
OPENSPACE_POLY - polygons of recreational and conservation lands as described above
OPENSPACE_ARC - attributed lines that represent boundaries of the polygons
These feature classes are stored in an ArcSDE feature dataset named OPENSPACE that includes ArcGIS geodatabase topology.
OPENSPACE_POLY - The following types of land are included in this datalayer:
conservation land- habitat protection with minimal recreation, such as walking trails
recreation land- outdoor facilities such as town parks, commons, playing fields, school fields, golf courses, bike paths, scout camps, and fish and game clubs. These may be privately or publicly owned facilities.
town forests
parkways - green buffers along roads, if they are a recognized conservation resource
agricultural land- land protected under an Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) and administered by the state Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR, formerly the Dept. of Food and Agriculture (DFA))
aquifer protection land - not zoning overlay districts
watershed protection land - not zoning overlay districts
cemeteries - if a recognized conservation or recreation resource
forest land -- if designated as a Forest Legacy Area
The political boundary datalayer is a polygon representation of town boundaries created from arcs developed from survey coordinates extracted from the 68-volume Harbor and Lands Commission Town Boundary Atlas for the 351 communities (cities and towns) in Massachusetts. The Atlas was published in the early 1900's and is maintained by the Survey Section of Massachusetts Highway Department. For communities with a coastal boundary, MassGIS has collaborated with Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection to complete a 1:12000 scale coastline. The boundary for the coastline was defined as being the upland side of tidal flats and rocky inter-tidal zones. Note that the 351 communities are the official municipal names, not including "villages" or other sections of towns.