What is a primary source for obtaining TIGER/Line files?

The U.S. Census Bureau is recognized as the primary source for obtaining TIGER/Line files. These files are a critical component of the Census Bureau's geographic and cartographic information, providing detailed data about the physical layout of roads, water bodies, and other features across the United States. The TIGER/Line files are designed to support various applications, including demographic analysis, urban planning, and transportation modeling, and they contain geographic information that is aligned with census data gathered every ten years.

The TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing) system was developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to create a comprehensive and consistent geographic framework for various census-related tasks. Thus, when someone needs up-to-date TIGER/Line files for their GIS projects or analysis, the most authoritative and direct source is the U.S. Census Bureau itself.