Geographic Information Systems

GIS Datasets

Central to any Geographic Information System is the data upon which it is built. The City of Durham in cooperation with Durham County has assembled a collection of datasets to be used in geographic analysis and map production. The data is supplied by individual departments whose responsibility it is to produce and maintain accurate data as part of conducting business daily within the city and county. Each database is maintained and updated regularly with the most recent posting date listed for each dataset. The data is then used to support geographic analysis and display or print maps based on popular themes.

Some of the data in use is available to private citizens, professionals and commercial users.
Read the Durham City/Durham County Data Access and Distribution Policy for Private and Professional use, Effective July 1, 1999,
or
Read the Durham City/Durham County Data Distribution Policy for Commercial Use, Effective November 15, 2000.

Available data includes but is not limited to the following:
Dataset Content Effective Date
Cadastral Parcel Boundaries Current
Planimetric Features Building Footprints (City and some County areas) Base Data: March 31, 1994
2' Contours Topolographic Lines (Same area as planimetric data) Base Data: 1994
Hydrography Lakes and Streams (Same area as planimetric data) Base Data: March 31, 1994
Zoning Countywide Zoning Current
Street Centerlines Countywide Street Centerline with Address Ranges Current
City Limits   Current
Voting Precincts Election Precincts Current
Police Beats Citywide Current
School Locations Countywide Current
Fire Station Locations Countwide Current
Neighborhood Associations Countywide Current
Historic Landmarks/Districts Countywide Current
Floodplains Countywide flood zones by type FEMA Flood Rate Insurance Map, May 2006
Polls Polling Places Current
Soils Countywide Soils from NC Survey From NC CGIA, 1998


Data Distribution Policy Effective July 1, 1999.
Data Distribution Policy for Commercial Use, Effective November 15, 2000.