| American Travel Survey (ATS) 1995 |
| Overview |
The 1995 American Travel Survey (ATS) was conducted by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to obtain information about the long-distance travel of persons living in the United States. The survey collected quarterly information related to the characteristics of persons, households, and trips of 100 miles or more for approximately 80,000 American households.
The ATS data provide detailed information on state-to-state travel as well as travel to and from metropolitan areas by mode of transportation. Data are also available for subgroups defined in terms of characteristics related to travel, such as trip purpose, age, family type, income, and a variety of related characteristics. The data can be analyzed at the regional, state, metropolitan area, and county level.
NOTE: In 2001, the National Household Travel Survey was carried out. This new survey is a combined Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) and ATS.
Visit the National Household Travel Survey web site for more details. |
| Coverage |
| The 1995 ATS covered all 50 States and the District of Columbia. |
| Availability |
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| First Year | 1995 |
| Last Year | 1995 |
| Frequency | Every five years. |
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| Data Tables |
| View tables in this database ... |
| Household Characteristics |
| The household characteristics file includes information about the traveling household's size, household and family income, household type, number of vehicles and householder's characteristics |
| Household DO Characteristics |
| Household Destination To Origin Characteristics file gives information on the destination to origin trip characteristics for the household. |
| Household Imputations |
| Household: Imputations consists of all imputed fields for the household trip file. |
| Household OD |
| Household Origin Destination Characteristics gives origin and destination information for the household trip. |
| Household OD Characteristics |
| Household Origin To Destination Characteristics file gives information on the origin to destination trip characteristics for the household. |
| Household Side Trips |
| Household: SideTrips gives information on side trips taken by the household. |
| Household Trip Characteristics |
| Household Trip Characteristics file gives information on trip characteristics for the household. |
| Household Trips |
| A household trip file consists of information pertaining to a trip, which one or more members of a household traveled together. |
| Person Characteristics |
| Person Characteristics file gives information on person characteristics like race, age, sex, income, etc. |
| Person DO Characteristics |
| Person Destination To Origin Characteristics gives information on the destination to origin trip characteristics. |
| Person Imputations |
| Person: Imputations contains all imputed fields for the person trip file. |
| Person OD |
| Person Origin Destination Characteristics gives origin and destination information for the person trip. |
| Person OD Characteristics |
| Person Origin To Destination Characteristics gives information on the origin to destination trip characteristics. |
| Person Side Trips |
| Person: SideTrips gives information on side trips taken by the person. |
| Person Trip Characteristics |
| Person Trip Characteristics gives information on the person trip. |
| Person Trips |
| Person Trip file gives information on the person trip characteristics for the household. |
| Summary Tables |
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| National Transportation Statistics |
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| Long-Distance Travel in the United States by Selected Traveler Characteristics: 1995 (Roundtrips of 100 miles or more, one way) |
| Long-Distance Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics: 1995 (Roundtrips of 100 miles or more, one way, U.S. destinations only) |
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| Related Links |
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| National Household Travel Survey |
| Census Bureau's Journey to Work and Place of Work Data |
| Census Bureau's Working at Home Data |
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| Terms and Definitions |
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| Activity | Persons age 16 and over were asked to classify themselves by their main activity, i.e., working full or part time, a homemaker, in the armed forces, going to school, or retired. |
| Air Trip | Any trip in which the type of transportation used to cover most of the miles on that trip was either by commercial airplane or a personal or corporate airplane. |
| Business Trip | Any trip which the main purpose of the trip is given as business, combined business and pleasure or convention. |
| Census Division | Groupings of states that are subdivisions of the four census regions. There are nine divisions, which the Census Bureau adopted in 1910 for the presentation of data. |
| Census Region | Groupings of states that subdivide the United States for the presentation of data. There are four regions -- Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Each of the four divisions is divided into two or more census divisions. |
| Destination Of Trip | The place reported by a respondent as the destination of the trip. If more than one place is visited on the same trip, the place which is the farthest point from the origin is considered the destination of the trip. |
| Duration Of Trip | Number of nights spent away from home on a trip and includes nights spent at the destination, nights spent en route and nights spent on side trips. It is possible for a trip not to involve an overnight stay from home; a traveler could take a trip of 100 miles or more and return on the same day. |
| East North Central Division | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin |
| East South Central Division | Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi |
| Educational Attainment | The highest grade of school completed as of the date of the first interview determines the educational category of the traveler or household head. |
| FIPS | Federal Information Processing Standards. Usually referring to a code assigned to any of a variety of geographic entities (e.g. counties, states, metropolitan areas, etc). FIPS codes are intended to simplify the collection, processing, and dissemination of data and resources of the Federal Government. |
| Family | Includes householder and all relatives who are currently members of the household. |
| Family Income | The total combined income for the previous 12 months of the householder and all persons related to the householder by blood, marriage, or adoption who were living in the household as of the date of the first interview. Family income includes income from all sources, such as wages and salaries, net income from own business or own farm, social security, pensions, dividends, interest, rent and any other money income. The income of household members not related to the householder is not included in family income. |
| Hispanic Origin | Referring to any person whose primary ethnic ancestry is of primarily Spanish-speaking countries. Hispanic origin includes Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic origin. |
| Household | The basic sampling and reporting unit for collecting travel and other information in the American Travel Survey. A household consists of all persons who occupy a housing unit such as a house, apartment, or rooms that form separate living quarters. |
| Household Composition | One of any classifications regarding the relationship of household members to each other and the presence or absence of children. |
| Household Type | A classification taking into account the number of household members and their relationship to each other. Household types include family households and non-family households. Family households include married-couple households, female householders, and male householders with and without children in selected age groups. Non-family households include male and female householders living alone or not living alone. |
| Lodging | A temporary place to stay (e.g. motel, cabin, domitory, etc). |
| Metropolitan Area | A large population nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with that nucleus. A metropolitan area (MA) may be defined around two or more nuclei. The MA is a statistical standard designated and defined by the Office of Management and Budget, following a set of official published standards. An MA comprises one or more counties except in New England where MAs are composed of cities and towns rather than whole counties. Classifications of MAs include metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) that is divided into primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSA). |
| Metropolitan Statistical Area | A relatively freestanding metropolitan area (MA) that is not closely associated with other MAs. These areas typically are surrounded by nonmetropolitan counties. A metropolitan statistical area (MSA) comprises one or more counties except in New England where MSAs are composed of cities and towns rather than whole counties. |
| Mid Atlantic Division | New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania |
| Mountain Division | Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada |
| New England Division | Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut |
| Nights Away From Home | The number of nights spent away from home on one trip, including nights spent at the destination, on stops to and from the destination and on side trips away from the destination. Nights away from home are broken into categories including nights at the destination, nights at stops and side trips, and nights en route. |
| Pacific Division | Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii |
| Person-Miles | An estimate of the aggregate distances traveled by all persons who took a trip and is based on the estimated transportation network miles traveled on the trip. |
| Person-Nights | The aggregate number of nights spent by all persons on a trip. For example, if two people took a trip that involved five nights away from home, a total of 10 person-nights would be counted for that trip. |
| Personal Use Vehicle Trip | Any trip in which the main type of transportation used to cover most of the miles on that trip was auto, pickup truck, van, other truck, rental car, truck or van, recreational vehicle, or motorcycle. |
| Pleasure Trip | Any trip where the purpose of the trip is given as to visit friends or relatives, rest or relaxation, school activities, sightseeing, entertainment, outdoor recreation, or shopping. |
| Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) | A component area of a consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA). Any metropolitan area having more than one million persons may be divided in to subareas called primary metropolitan statistical areas (PSMAs) based on criteria established by the Office of Management and Budget. PMSAs consist of a large urbanized county or cluster of counties that demonstrates very strong internal economic and social links, in addition to close ties to other portions of the larger area. In New England, PMSAs are composed of cities and towns rather than whole counties. |
| Principal Means Of Transportation | The means of transportation used for most of the distance from the origin to the destination. Respondents were asked to report separately the major type of transportation used for going and for returning on the trip. If a different means was used for going and returning, the major means of transportation was the mode used on the going trip. |
| Race | The race with which the respondent and other household members most closely identify. Choices include: White, Black, American Indian, Eskimo, Or Aleut, Asian Or Pacific Islander, and Other Race. |
| Respondent | The person who reported the information about the trip. Survey procedures specified that persons 15 years old or older be interviewed personally about any trips they took during the reference period. Household trips taken by more than one household member were reported by the first member interviewed who went on the trip. Trips taken by household members under 15 years of age were reported by a knowledgeable adult household member. Procedures were established to ensure that a household trip taken by more than one household member was reported only once with an indication of each of the household members on the trip. |
| Round Trip Distance | Estimated transportation network miles traveled from the residence of the household at the time of the trip to the destination and back. Miles are calculated separately from origin to destination and destination to origin and added together to allow for differences in routes traveled each way. |
| South Atlantic Division | Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida |
| Travel Party Size | Any of three groups depending on whether household and/or non-household members were on the trip. Travel Party is the total number of household and non-household members on the trip. Household Travel Party is the total number of household members on the trip. Non-Household Travel Party is the total number of non-household members on the trip. |
| Travel Party Type | Any of eight categories describing the number of adults and children in the group. |
| Trip | Each time a person goes to a place at least 100 miles away from home and returns. Respondents were asked to report trips of 75 miles or more as a means of reducing possible failure in reporting trips of 100 miles or more due to a misconception by the respondent of the actual miles traveled. Trips subsequently calculated to be less than 100 miles were excluded from the estimates. A household trip refers to a trip in which one or more members of a household traveled together. A person trip refers to a trip taken by an individual. For example, if three persons from the same household go together on a trip, the trip is counted as one household trip and three person trips. If persons goes alone on two trips, the trips are counted as two household trips and two person trips. |
| USPS Codes | United States Postal Service (USPS) codes for States are used in all American Travel Survey (ATS) data products. The codes are two-character alphabetic abbreviations. These codes are the same as the FIPS two-character alphabetic abbreviations. |
| Vacation Trip | Not listed as a main purpose of travel for the American Travel Survey. Respondents were asked whether or not a specific trip taken was considered as a vacation trip. Respondents were also asked the main purpose of a trip (e.g. sightseeing, outdoor recreation, entertainment, business, etc). |
| Vehicles | Includes cars, trucks, vans, recreational vehicles (RVs), and motorcycles. The number and type of vehicles owned or available for use by the household. |
| Weekend Trip | A trip including an overnight stay on a Friday or a Saturday night. Travelers who stay one or two nights away including a Friday or Saturday night are defined as regular weekend travelers. Those who stay three to five nights away including a Friday and/or Saturday night stay are defined as long weekend travelers. |
| West North Central Division | Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas |
| West South Central Division | Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas |
