1940 U.S. Census Records

The 1940 Census...

Digital images of the 1940 U.S. Federal Census were released to the public by the National Archives (NARA) on 2 April 2012. Ancestry.com and FamilySearch have completed indexing the 1940 U.S. Census.

1940 U.S. Census Records are available for free online (with registration) at:

• 1940 Census Records at Ancestry.com (indexed) Free with registration (includes digitized images of the census records)
• 1940 United States Census at FamilySearch (indexed) Free with registration (includes digitized images of the census records)

You can see a summary of the information given in the 1940 census here:
Compact Guide to the 1940 Census

For a more detailed list of questions asked see:
Questions Asked on the 1940 Census Form

You can read the instructions given to the census enumerators here:
1940 Census: Instructions to Enumerators

Here you can find some tips on how you might be able to find people based on their address...
How to Start Your 1940 Census Research - Article from the National Archives

You can download a high resolution PDF of a blank 1940 census form at:
Blank 1940 Census Form from the U.S. Census Bureau

For some help with census records for other years see:
US Census Records - The Basics - a simple guide for researching in census records, 1790-1950

Searching 1960 and Later U.S. Census Records

1960 and Later U.S. Census Records