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What is STAR*Map?
The acronym STAR*Map is the trademarked name for the Southeast Texas Addressing and Referencing Map. Created and maintained by the Houston-Galveston Area Council, STAR*Map is a digital basemap and database that covers a multi-county region, including all of Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, and Wharton Counties. STAR*Map includes more than 2 million parcel address points and 13 counties street centerlines.
How many data layers include in STAR*Map product?
STAR*Map includes four data layers in ESRI shapefile and file geodatabase formats for 13-county H-GAC region.
- Address Points
- Roads (Street Centerlines)
- Zip Codes
- Sidewalks
What methods of payment are accepted?
Most orders are processed within 1 to 2 business weeks. Credit card purchases are delivered upon completion of the order, while checks must be received and cleared before completing the order. You can pay with a check or credit card (Visa or Mastercard). Please make the check payable to: Houston-Galveston Area Council, purpose: STAR*Map and send it to:
Houston-Galveston Area Council
Data Services Department
3555 Timmons Lane, Suite 120
Houston, TX 77027
Are there shipping charges, taxes, or other charges that apply?
There are no other additional charges. We will handle the shipping.
What is the advantage of the STAR*Map subscription?
The advantage with the subscription is to receive the updates by shapefile/geodatabase and STAR*Map map services on a monthly basis.
What is the projection of the STAR*Map?
Projection/Coordinate System = State Plane (Texas South Central Zone)
Units = Feet (US Survey Foot)
Datum = NAD83
Spheroid = GRS1980
Is there a special rate for the STAR*Map if it is being used for educational purposes?
H-GAC will offer the educational organizations half price for one-time STAR*Map purchase. It is $1000 a copy/version of STAR*Map. There is no limit to this special offer.
Does STAR*Map contain all drivable roads in both the unincorporated and incorporated areas of all of
Yes, STAR*Map includes all the drivable roads in both the unincorporated and the incorporated areas. It does not include the latest corporate boundaries.
Can STAR*Map information be purchased by layer, as opposed to purchasing the whole product?
No, We don't provide layer by layer. We only distribute the packaged product.
How often are files updated?
Updates to STAR*Map are released monthly. There are 12 updates per year.
Does the dataset include the address points and parcels?
The dataset includes address points but not actual parcel polygons.
Is STAR*Map downloadable?
Yes, it can be distributed through our FTP download site in file geodatabse and shapefile format. Payment is required in advance.
How current is the data? Is there a backlog?
The STAR*Map is very current (within 3 months) of all platted development. You will find the STAR*Map to be the most up-to-date street centerline basemap for this area.
We want to provide our contractor who works on a project in our organization with a copy of STAR*Map
No agreement is required. You can allow contractors to use the STAR*Map for projects they are completing for your organization, but are required to remove all instance of STAR*Map following the completion of the project. If this contractor works for a different organization on a similar project then they should purchase a copy of STAR*Map for that organization. Star*Map may not be shared or resold outside your organization.
Do you have a layer file that just shows the major freeways/highways already color coded and labeled
There is a field in the roads layer called "Road_Class" that you can use to symbolize the roads on the map. It is the field that we use to differentiate the different types of roads on a map. It is a very useful tool to display roads on your maps.
We need to put together a mailing list for a certain watershed area and I was wondering has the STAR
STAR*Map is exactly what you need to geocode your address list.
Can you send me the metadata for your STAR*Map product?
A readme file comes with each STAR*Map release. It includes some metadata.
Which counties are included in the STAR*Map?
STAR*Map includes all of Austin, Chambers, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller, and Wharton, Colorado, Matagorda and Walker Counties.
If we got the product in AutoCAD, would the information be just as good as it would be if we got sha
We don't distribute in AutoCAD format. We distribute in an ESRI shapefile and goedatbase. You would have to convert it from a shapefile to AutoCAD format.