Download TIGER/Line data from the Census FTP server based on state FIPS code. Here, pulls EDGE data for four states.

census_fetcher.py

#!/usr/bin/env python

from os import walk
from ftplib import FTP
from time import sleep

# 10 - DE
# 34 - NJ
# 36 - NY
# 42 - PA
fips = ['10', '34', '36', '42']
ftp = FTP('ftp2.census.gov')
ftp.login()
ftp.cwd('/geo/tiger/TIGER2013/EDGES/')

my_list = []
def get_mine(ln):
  lns = ln.split(' ')
  f = lns[-1:][0]
  if f[8:10] in fips:
    print(f)
    my_list.append(f)

ftp.retrlines('LIST', get_mine)

for f in my_list:
  print('getting ' + f)
  ftp.retrbinary('RETR ' + f, open(f, 'wb').write)
  sleep(5)

ftp.quit()