The 1221 weather observation stations that compose the U.S. Historical Climatology Network were designated as either urban, suburban, or rural based on data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (OLS). The designations were based on local and regional samples of the OLS data around the stations (OLS method). Trends in monthly maximum and minimum temperature and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) were determined for the 1950–96 interval for each of three land use/land cover (LULC) designations. The temperature trends for the OLS-derived designations of LULC were compared to similarly designated LULC based on (i) map- (Operational Navigation Charts) and population-based estimates of LULC (ONCP method), and (ii) LULC designations that resulted from of a survey of the network station operators. Although differences were not statistically significant, the DTR trends (degrees Celsius per 100 years) did differ between the LULC classes defined by the OLS method, f... Abstract The 1221 weather observation stations that compose the U.S. Historical Climatology Network were designated as either urban, suburban, or rural based on data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (OLS). The designations were based on local and regional samples of the OLS data around the stations (OLS method). Trends in monthly maximum and minimum temperature and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) were determined for the 1950–96 interval for each of three land use/land cover (LULC) designations. The temperature trends for the OLS-derived designations of LULC were compared to similarly designated LULC based on (i) map- (Operational Navigation Charts) and population-based estimates of LULC (ONCP method), and (ii) LULC designations that resulted from of a survey of the network station operators. Although differences were not statistically significant, the DTR trends (degrees Celsius per 100 years) did differ between the LULC classes defined by the OLS method, f...