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GIS is not my field. I need this data for an odd job at work.

I have been unsuccessful in finding the data from Google FusionTables but found (what I believe to be) the shapefile for MSA's from the US Census on the US Census site

Is there an easy way to convert this file to KML polygon data?

I have tried QGIS but it seems to throw an error when I save the Layer as a KML file type.

Alternatively, is there any place I can simply find this polygon data?

Here is the error text I receive from the QGIS:

"Export to vector file failed.

Error: creation of data source failed (OGR error:Failed to create KML file polygon_data.kml.)"

@mtn.biker successfully created the file for me and outlined their process in the comment below if anyone else runs into this issue.

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Sooji
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  • Can you post the error message that you receive when you try to export to KML from QGIS? – Zachary Jun 09 '14 at 14:23
  • Here is a screenshot of what I get. It might have to do with how I loaded the file? I just drag/dropped it onto the QGIS Desktop icon.

    http://i.imgur.com/orqt3Td.png

     – Sooji Jun 09 '14 at 14:25
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    I was just able to download the shapefile, unzip, drag it into QGIS (v2.2.0) and save-as KML and it worked for me (on Windows 7). Maybe try a different computer/operating system? I put my result here: https://github.com/liebert/kml_example/blob/master/tl_2013_us_cbsa.kml – mtn.biker Jun 09 '14 at 15:49
  • Thank you so much mtn.biker! This helps me so much I'm unsure how to properly show my gratitude. I am also on Windows 7, so I'm unsure why I had issues with it. I will give it a shot again tonight to see if I can't get it working, but I'm glad to see the general path I was taking wasn't wrong. – Sooji Jun 09 '14 at 16:11

2 Answers2

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This is a list of shapefile to KMZ / KML converters.

http://spatialnews.geocomm.com/articles/overviewofkmlconversionprograms/

I use this one http://www.zonums.com/shp2kml.html

If you do not know- just GIS
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Since you mentioned Fusion Tables, this site will convert your shapefile to a Fusion Table.

Llaves
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