NAME: US INTERSTATE SYSTEM I TYPE: Census SIZE: 99 observations , 5 variables (3 numeric, 2 character) DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACT: This dataset consists of a listing of all US interstate highways, treating the highway as the sampling unit. SOURCE: Rand McNally - 1993 Business Traveler's Road Atlas and Guide to Major Cities. VARIABLE DESCRIPTIONS: Interstate # Columns 1-2 Number of states Columns 4-5 Approximate miles Columns 7-10 Southern or Western end Columns 12-34 Northern or Eastern end Columns 36-57 SPECIAL NOTES: The miles are approximate, as author read them off maps using guide markers provided along highways. 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. SUBMITTED BY: Larry Winner Department of Statistics, University of Florida 103 Griffin/Floyd Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 winner@stat.ufl.edu