Maps Addition: Boundary Maps for Oregon House and Senate Districts Allow Merger With District Level Data.

I have added two GIS related Shape files to the map tab at the top of the blog.

The files show the boundaries for:

• The 60 districts of the Oregon House and
• The 30 Oregon Senate districts.

The files are posted as Google Fusion tables. Posting in that format allows users to merge/join other district level data AND then display that combined data in Google maps.  (You likely will need a Google account to make those merges).

An example of that merging capability is the map I created HERE of renter severe cost burdens for the 30 Senate districts in Oregon.  (Data is the most recent available, published in December 2017 and covers 2012-2016).

Note: I found it surprising difficult to locate Oregon legislative district boundaries in GIS formats on State of Oregon websites.

I had to download .SHP files from the US Census and then convert those files with the free Shape Escape program to create formats that I could import into Google Fusion tables and then display on Google Maps.  

This may partially explain why there is very little public data visible on the web at Oregon state legislative district levels. 

A simple solution for the state would be a centralized posting of Google map compatible boundary files for all Oregon geographies. It's possible that it's out there but I could not find; let me know if you find a link. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.