Miscellaneous Information

Various Identification Codes ...

GNIS Codes ...

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) was created to address the problems caused by spelling and naming variations. The BGN will usually recognize an existing name or, when necessary, chose a name for a geographic feature (such as a mountain, lake, river, stream, city, town, village, dam, bridge, etc).

The BGN names are kept in a database called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and it is the official Federal repository. The GNIS is operated and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

A unique and permanent identifier has been assigned for each name in the GNIS database. These names and identifiers are definitive and it is intended that they are to be used by all departments of the Federal Government:

GNIS ID for Alpena: 1625832

GNIS ID for Alpena County: 1622946

GNIS ID for Michigan: 1779789

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies created a set of codes with a purpose similar to the GNIS codes. These codes are called the Federal Information Processing Standard (or the FIPS 55 codes). Although they are still used by some organizations, the FIPS codes are obsolete and will ultimately be replaced by the GNIS codes.

The following FIPS codes apply to Alpena:

Place (Community) Code:	01740
State Code:	26 (Michigan)
County Code:	007 (Alpena County)

Since the Place and County FIPS codes are not unique and can be repeated in other States, it's necessary to combine the State code with the Place and County FIPS codes to uniquely identify them - for example:

State/Place Code:	26/01740
State/County Code:	26/007

As already mentioned, the FIPS codes are to be replaced by the GNIS codes. The following reflect those changes:

	FIPS Code	translates to	GNIS Code
State of Michigan:	26		1779789
Alpena County:	26/007		1622946
Alpena:	26/01740		1625832

GPS Location - GNIS vs Census ...

An important aspect of the GNIS code is that it assigns a GPS location (the latitude/longitude) to the geographic feature. This location is simply a point on the map and does not represent the size or shape of the feature. In the case of Alpena, it is a point within Alpena that might be a post office, the city hall or simply an intersection - the point should really be considered arbitrary and only indicating a general location.

For Alpena, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   45° 4' 22"   (or 45.07°)

Lon:   -83° 26' 14"   (or -83.44°)  

Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Alpena - this area also contains a map point. As with the GNIS code, the location of the Census point should be considered as being arbitrary within the sampling area.

For Alpena, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as:

Lat:   45° 4' 27"   (or 45.07°)

Lon:   -83° 26' 34"   (or -83.44°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 1,510 feet to the west<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above).

You might note that the GPS location given for the 2010 Census is different than the location that was specified by the 2000 Census:

Lat:   45° 3' 53"   (or 45.06°)

Lon:   -83° 26' 28"   (or -83.44°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 3,457 feet to the south<2> of the point given by the 2010 Census.

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Alpena is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Alpena is located in Division #3 (the East North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Alpena is located in Region V (Region 5).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Alpena is located in Region V (Region 5).

ZIP Codes ...

While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like Alpena, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Alpena. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code are defined by the needs of the USPS and can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.

The ZIP code for Alpena: 49707<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #620017   (Name of Record: Alpena)

Class: populated place

A place or area having clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent population (such as a city, settlement, town or village). The boundaries may or may not coincide with the perceived population.

A 'populated place' record may have a corresponding 'census' or 'civil' record. The information contained in the 'populated place' record applies only to the class and should not be confused with either the 'census' and 'civil' classes.

County: Alpena

Map Name: Alpena

Lat: 45.0616794       Lon: -83.4327528  

Elev: 180 ft.

GNIS ID #1625832   (Name of Record: City of Alpena)

Class: civil

A political division formed for administrative purposes (such as a borough, county, incorporated place, parish, town or township).

A 'civil' record may have a corresponding 'census' or 'populated place' record. The information contained in the 'civil' record applies only to the class and should not be confused with either the 'census' and 'populated place' classes.

County: Alpena

Map Name: Alpena

Lat: 45.0727906       Lon: -83.4374754  

Elev: 182 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 26/01740   (Place Name: Alpena)

County: Alpena     (FIPS State/County: 26/007)

Class: C5

GSA Code: 120

MRF Code: 65

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Alpena: www.alpena.mi.us/

The official website for Alpena County: www.alpenacounty.org/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

The official website of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)