Rural Areas Defined
For a project to be eligible for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant program the project must be located in a rural area.
A project is designated as urban if it is located within or exactly on the boundary of a 2020 Census-designated Urban Area (UA), and that UA had a population greater than 200,000.
A project will be designated as rural if it is located:
- In an urban area that had a population less than 200,000 in the 2020 Census, or
- Outside of any urban area.
For projects that include expenditures in both urban areas and rural areas, the Department will designate the project as urban or rural based on where the majority of project funds will be spent.
To determine if a location is in a Census-Designated UA, please consult the following resources:
1. Grant Project Location Verification Map: https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/GrantProjectLocationVerification/
2. List of Census 2020 Urban Areas with population greater than 200,000 (urban). See below.
UACE | Name of Census-designated Urban Area | Population |
00631 | Aguadilla--Isabela--San Sebastián, PR | 232,573 |
00766 | Akron, OH | 541,879 |
00970 | Albany--Schenectady, NY | 593,142 |
01171 | Albuquerque, NM | 769,837 |
01495 | Allentown--Bethlehem, PA--NJ | 621,703 |
01927 | Amarillo, TX | 205,860 |
02305 | Anchorage, AK | 249,252 |
02602 | Ann Arbor, MI | 317,689 |
02683 | Antioch, CA | 326,205 |
02764 | Appleton, WI | 230,967 |
03358 | Asheville, NC | 285,776 |
03817 | Atlanta, GA | 4,999,259 |
03904 | Atlantic City--Ocean City--Villas, NJ | 294,921 |
04222 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA--SC | 431,480 |
04384 | Austin, TX | 1,809,888 |
04681 | Bakersfield, CA | 570,235 |
04843 | Baltimore, MD | 2,212,038 |
05167 | Barnstable Town, MA | 303,269 |
05680 | Baton Rouge, LA | 631,326 |
06290 | Bel Air--Aberdeen, MD | 214,647 |
07786 | Birmingham, AL | 774,956 |
08785 | Boise City, ID | 433,180 |
08974 | Bonita Springs--Estero, FL | 425,675 |
09271 | Boston, MA--NH | 4,382,009 |
09536 | Bradenton--Sarasota--Venice, FL | 779,075 |
09946 | Bremerton, WA | 224,449 |
10162 | Bridgeport--Stamford, CT--NY | 916,408 |
10972 | Brownsville, TX | 216,444 |
11350 | Buffalo, NY | 948,864 |
13375 | Canton, OH | 295,319 |
13510 | Cape Coral, FL | 599,242 |
15508 | Charleston, SC | 684,773 |
15670 | Charlotte, NC--SC | 1,379,873 |
15832 | Chattanooga, TN--GA | 398,569 |
16264 | Chicago, IL--IN | 8,671,746 |
16885 | Cincinnati, OH--KY | 1,686,744 |
17317 | Clarksville, TN--KY | 200,947 |
17668 | Cleveland, OH | 1,712,178 |
18748 | College Station--Bryan, TX | 206,137 |
18856 | Colorado Springs, CO | 632,494 |
18964 | Columbia, SC | 590,407 |
19099 | Columbus, GA--AL | 267,746 |
19234 | Columbus, OH | 1,567,254 |
19558 | Concord, NC | 278,612 |
19504 | Concord--Walnut Creek, CA | 538,583 |
20287 | Corpus Christi, TX | 339,066 |
22042 | Dallas--Fort Worth--Arlington, TX | 5,732,354 |
22366 | Davenport, IA--IL | 285,211 |
22528 | Dayton, OH | 674,046 |
22612 | Daytona Beach--Palm Coast--Port Orange, FL | 402,126 |
23311 | Deltona, FL | 210,712 |
23500 | Denton--Lewisville, TX | 429,461 |
23527 | Denver--Aurora, CO | 2,686,147 |
23743 | Des Moines, IA | 542,486 |
23824 | Detroit, MI | 3,776,890 |
25228 | Durham, NC | 396,118 |
27253 | El Paso, TX--NM | 854,584 |
28117 | Eugene, OR | 270,179 |
28333 | Evansville, IN | 206,855 |
29089 | Fargo, ND--MN | 216,214 |
29440 | Fayetteville, NC | 325,008 |
29494 | Fayetteville--Springdale--Rogers, AR--MO | 373,687 |
29872 | Flint, MI | 298,964 |
30628 | Fort Collins, CO | 326,332 |
31087 | Fort Wayne, IN | 335,934 |
31843 | Fresno, CA | 717,589 |
32167 | Gainesville, FL | 213,748 |
32194 | Gainesville, GA | 265,218 |
34300 | Grand Rapids, MI | 605,666 |
34813 | Green Bay, WI | 224,156 |
35164 | Greensboro, NC | 338,928 |
35461 | Greenville, SC | 387,271 |
35920 | Gulfport--Biloxi, MS | 236,344 |
37081 | Harrisburg, PA | 490,859 |
37243 | Hartford, CT | 977,158 |
38647 | Hickory, NC | 201,511 |
39889 | Honolulu, HI | 853,252 |
40429 | Houston, TX | 5,853,575 |
40753 | Huntington, WV--KY--OH | 200,157 |
40780 | Huntsville, AL | 329,066 |
41212 | Indianapolis, IN | 1,699,881 |
41347 | Indio--Palm Desert--Palm Springs, CA | 361,075 |
42211 | Jackson, MS | 347,693 |
42346 | Jacksonville, FL | 1,247,374 |
43723 | Kalamazoo, MI | 204,562 |
43912 | Kansas City, MO--KS | 1,674,218 |
44479 | Kennewick--Richland--Pasco, WA | 255,401 |
44992 | Killeen, TX | 257,222 |
45451 | Kissimmee--St. Cloud, FL | 418,404 |
45640 | Knoxville, TN | 597,257 |
46045 | Lafayette, LA | 227,316 |
46828 | Lakeland, FL | 277,915 |
47530 | Lancaster--Manheim, PA | 394,530 |
47719 | Lansing, MI | 318,300 |
47854 | Laredo, TX | 251,462 |
47995 | Las Vegas--Henderson--Paradise, NV | 2,196,623 |
49582 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 315,631 |
49933 | Lincoln, NE | 291,217 |
50392 | Little Rock, AR | 461,864 |
50533 | Livermore--Pleasanton--Dublin, CA | 240,381 |
51445 | Los Angeles--Long Beach--Anaheim, CA | 12,237,376 |
51755 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY--IN | 974,397 |
51877 | Lubbock, TX | 272,280 |
53200 | Madison, WI | 450,305 |
52390 | McAllen, TX | 779,553 |
52695 | McKinney--Frisco, TX | 504,803 |
56116 | Memphis, TN--MS--AR | 1,056,190 |
56602 | Miami--Fort Lauderdale, FL | 6,077,522 |
57466 | Milwaukee, WI | 1,306,795 |
57628 | Minneapolis--St. Paul, MN | 2,914,866 |
57709 | Mission Viejo--Lake Forest--Laguna Niguel, CA | 646,843 |
57925 | Mobile, AL | 321,907 |
58006 | Modesto, CA | 357,301 |
58600 | Montgomery, AL | 254,348 |
60895 | Myrtle Beach--North Myrtle Beach, SC--NC | 298,954 |
61165 | Nashua, NH--MA | 242,984 |
61273 | Nashville-Davidson, TN | 1,158,642 |
61372 | Navarre--Miramar Beach--Destin, FL | 226,213 |
62407 | New Haven, CT | 561,456 |
62677 | New Orleans, LA | 914,531 |
63217 | New York--Jersey City--Newark, NY--NJ | 19,426,449 |
64945 | Ogden--Layton, UT | 608,857 |
65080 | Oklahoma City, OK | 982,276 |
65242 | Olympia--Lacey, WA | 208,157 |
65269 | Omaha, NE--IA | 819,508 |
65863 | Orlando, FL | 1,853,896 |
66673 | Oxnard--San Buenaventura (Ventura), CA | 376,117 |
67105 | Palm Bay--Melbourne, FL | 510,675 |
67140 | Palmdale--Lancaster, CA | 359,559 |
68482 | Pensacola, FL--AL | 390,172 |
68509 | Peoria, IL | 259,781 |
69076 | Philadelphia, PA--NJ--DE--MD | 5,696,125 |
69192 | Phoenix West--Goodyear--Avondale, AZ | 419,946 |
69184 | Phoenix--Mesa--Scottsdale, AZ | 3,976,313 |
69697 | Pittsburgh, PA | 1,745,039 |
71479 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 437,745 |
71263 | Portland, ME | 205,356 |
71317 | Portland, OR--WA | 2,104,238 |
71803 | Poughkeepsie--Newburgh, NY | 314,766 |
72505 | Providence, RI--MA | 1,285,806 |
72559 | Provo--Orem, UT | 588,609 |
73261 | Raleigh, NC | 1,106,646 |
73693 | Reading, PA | 276,278 |
74179 | Reno, NV--CA | 446,529 |
74746 | Richmond, VA | 1,059,150 |
75340 | Riverside--San Bernardino, CA | 2,276,703 |
75421 | Roanoke, VA | 217,312 |
75664 | Rochester, NY | 704,327 |
75745 | Rock Hill, SC | 218,443 |
75718 | Rockford, IL | 276,443 |
76474 | Round Lake Beach--McHenry--Grayslake, IL--WI | 261,835 |
77068 | Sacramento, CA | 1,946,618 |
78229 | Salem, OR | 268,331 |
78499 | Salt Lake City, UT | 1,178,533 |
78580 | San Antonio, TX | 1,992,689 |
78661 | San Diego, CA | 3,070,300 |
78904 | San Francisco--Oakland, CA | 3,515,933 |
79039 | San Jose, CA | 1,837,446 |
79093 | San Juan, PR | 1,844,410 |
79282 | Santa Barbara, CA | 202,197 |
79309 | Santa Clarita, CA | 278,031 |
79498 | Santa Rosa, CA | 297,329 |
79768 | Savannah, GA | 309,466 |
80227 | Scranton, PA | 366,713 |
80389 | Seattle--Tacoma, WA | 3,544,011 |
81739 | Shreveport, LA | 288,052 |
83116 | South Bend, IN--MI | 278,921 |
83764 | Spokane, WA | 447,279 |
83926 | Springfield, MA--CT | 442,145 |
83953 | Springfield, MO | 282,651 |
77770 | St. Louis, MO--IL | 2,156,323 |
85087 | Stockton, CA | 414,847 |
86302 | Syracuse, NY | 413,660 |
86464 | Tallahassee, FL | 252,934 |
86599 | Tampa--St. Petersburg, FL | 2,783,045 |
87004 | Temecula--Murrieta--Menifee, CA | 528,991 |
87300 | The Woodlands--Conroe, TX | 402,454 |
87490 | Thousand Oaks, CA | 213,986 |
87868 | Toledo, OH--MI | 497,952 |
88462 | Trenton, NJ | 370,422 |
88732 | Tucson, AZ | 875,441 |
88948 | Tulsa, OK | 722,810 |
90541 | Victorville--Hesperia--Apple Valley, CA | 355,816 |
90892 | Virginia Beach--Norfolk, VA | 1,451,578 |
92242 | Washington--Arlington, DC--VA--MD | 5,174,759 |
95077 | Wichita, KS | 500,231 |
95833 | Wilmington, NC | 255,329 |
96670 | Winston-Salem, NC | 420,924 |
96697 | Winter Haven, FL | 253,251 |
97291 | Worcester, MA--CT | 482,085 |
97750 | York, PA | 238,549 |
97831 | Youngstown, OH | 320,901 |
More information will be forthcoming regarding details of a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity that will allow applicants to use one application to apply for three separate discretionary grant opportunities:
- INFRA Grants: known statutorily as the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program (23 U.S.C. 117)
- Mega Grants: known statutorily as the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program (49 U.S.C. 6701)
- Rural Surface Transportation Grant: (23 U.S.C. 173)