NAME: US INTERSTATE SYSTEM III TYPE: Census SIZE: 221 observations , 4 variables (2 numeric, 2 character) DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACT: This dataset consists of a listing of all US 3-digit interstate highways (spurs and connecters), treating the highway/state combination as the sampling unit. SOURCE: Rand McNally - 1993 Business Traveler's Road Atlas and Guide to Major Cities. VARIABLE DESCRIPTIONS: Interstate # Columns 1-3 state Columns 5-6 Approximate miles Columns 8-10 Location Columns 12-45 SPECIAL NOTES: The miles are approximate, as author read them off maps using guide markers provided along highways. Highways that begin with odd numbers are spurs, highways that begin with even numbers are connecters. STORY BEHIND THE DATA: Author, who is very interested in maps, geography, and U.S. transportation system had a lot of free time one weekend. He knew of no source that provided such information. Other datasets were also created at the same time. PEDAGOGICAL NOTES: While this data may be more suited for cocktail parties than the classroom, it does allow a teacher to use some actual data when teaching concepts of descriptive statistics, such as graphical and numeric descriptions of a set of measurements. After having taught many classes and using the terms 'suppose we have the following measurements ...', the author vowed to get more interesting data. Data can be used in SAS courses to teach sorting and combining techniques. SUBMITTED BY: Larry Winner Department of Statistics, University of Florida 103 Griffin/Floyd Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 winner@stat.ufl.edu