Auxiliary File Layout
You must comply with the following organizational rules when you create auxiliary file:
- Files are fixed-width text files with a
.gax
extension - Files can contain up to 500,000 records.
- Use semicolons in the first column to indicate a row is a comment, not a data record; Geocode US Address ignores rows that begin with a semicolon.
- For optimal performance, order the records within the file by descending ZIP Code, and then descending street name.
- Records must represent only one side of a street. To represent both sides of a street, create a record for each side of the street.
- Records must represent segments that are straight lines.
- House numbers must follow USPS rules documented in Publication 28.
- Numeric fields, such as ZIP Codes, must contain only numbers.
- If house numbers are present in the record, the house number range must be valid according to USPS rules documented in Publication 28, Appendix E.
- Latitude and Longitude values must be in millionths of decimal degrees.
- Records cannot contain PO Box addresses.
The following table shows auxiliary file layout.
Field |
Description |
Required |
Required for Street Segment Match |
Required for Landmark Match |
Exact Match Required if Present |
Length |
Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ZIP Code |
5-digit ZIP Code. |
X |
X |
X |
X |
5 |
1-5 |
Street name |
Name of the street or landmark. |
X |
X |
X |
X |
30 |
6-35 |
Street type abbreviation |
Street type. Also called street suffix. See the USPS Publication 28, Appendix C for a complete list of supported street types. |
X |
4 |
36-39 |
|||
Predirectional |
USPS street name predirectional abbreviation. Supported values are N, E, S, W, NE, NW, SE, and SW. |
X |
2 |
40-41 |
|||
Postdirectional |
USPS street name postdirectional abbreviations. Supported values are N, E, S, W, NE, NW, SE, and SW. |
X |
2 |
42-43 |
|||
RESERVED |
RESERVED |
4 |
44-47 |
||||
Low house number |
Low house number of the address range. |
X |
X |
11 |
48-58 |
||
High house number |
High house number of the address range. |
X |
X |
11 |
59-69 |
||
House number parity |
Indicates the parity of the house number in the range. E - Even O - Odd B - Both |
1 |
70 |
||||
Segment direction |
Direction the house numbers progress along the segment: F - Forward (default) R - Reverse |
1 |
71 |
||||
RESERVED |
RESERVED |
1 |
72 |
||||
FIPS state |
US government FIPS state code. |
2 |
73-74 |
||||
FIPS county |
US government FIPS county code. |
3 |
75-77 |
||||
Census tract |
US Census tract number. |
6 |
78-83 |
||||
Census block group |
US Census block group number. |
1 |
84 |
||||
Census block ID |
US Census block ID number. |
3 |
85-87 |
||||
RESERVED |
RESERVED |
5 |
88-92 |
||||
State abbreviation |
USPS state abbreviation. |
2 |
93-94 |
||||
County name |
Name of the county. |
25 |
95-119 |
||||
MCD code |
Minor Civil Division code. |
5 |
120-124 |
||||
MCD name |
Minor Civil Division name. |
40 |
125-164 |
||||
CBSA code |
Core Based Statistical Area code. |
5 |
165-169 |
||||
CBSA name |
Core Based Statistical Area name. |
49 |
170-218 |
||||
RESERVED |
RESERVED |
5 |
219-223 |
||||
City Name |
City name. Overrides the city/state preferred city name upon a return. |
40 |
224-263 |
||||
RESERVED |
RESERVED |
237 |
264-500 |
||||
User-defined data |
User-defined data. |
300 |
501-800 |
||||
Record ID Number |
User-defined unique record identifier. |
10 |
801-810 |
||||
Side of street |
Side of the street for the address: L - Left side R - Right side B - Both sides U - Unknown side (default) This is relative to the segment endpoints and the segment direction. |
1 |
811 |
||||
Beginning longitude |
Beginning longitude of the street segment in millionths of degrees. |
X |
X |
X |
11 |
812-822 |
|
Beginning latitude |
Beginning latitude of the street segment in millionths of degrees. |
X |
X |
X |
10 |
823-832 |
|
Ending longitude |
Ending longitude of the street segment in millionths of degrees. |
11 |
833-843 |
||||
Ending latitude |
Ending latitude of the street segment in millionths of degrees. |
10 |
844-853 |