This tutorial demonstrates how to import an ESRI shapefile into an Access database using the ArcCatalog. Microsoft Access databases are compatible with ArcGIS, as tables within Access databases can be directly accessed by ArcGIS and added to ArcMap. When geographic boundary files are exported to an Access database, the database can then serve as a personal geodatabase: a container for organizing and storing multiple geographic boundary files and data tables. (see the How to Import Data into Microsoft Access tutorial for importing data tables into Access).

If you do not already have an Access database where you intend to export the shapefile to, the first step is to create an empty database file (see the beginning of the How to Import Data into Microsoft Access tutorial for instructions on creating a new database). NOTE – if you are using ArcGIS 9.2, you MUST create the database within Arc Catalog by right-clicking in the table of contents, clicking new, and new personal geodatabase. You cannot import geospatial data into an Access database that was not created with ArcGIS 9.2. If you plan on using the database for just holding and working with tabular data, or you are using an earlier version of ArcGIS (8.3 to 9.1), you can safely create a database within Access, Windows Explorer, or ArcGIS, and it will work as a geodatabase.

Once you have a database, the next step is to open the ArcCatalog, and drill down to the directory that has the shapefile. In this example, we are using a shapefile of census tracts for Washington that we will import to a database called censushousing, which contains a data table with housing unit information from the US Census. Left-click on the shapefile and select Export, To Geodatabase (single).

Download pdf How to Import Shapefiles into Microsoft Access