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, establish a new 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 code 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 Cedar Bluff: 2390773

GNIS ID for Tazewell County: 1497748

GNIS ID for Virginia: 1779803

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies worked together to create 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 Cedar Bluff:

Place (Community) Code:	13784
State Code:	51 (Virginia)
County Code:	185 (Tazewell 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:	51/13784
State/County Code:	51/185

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 Virginia:	51		1779803
Tazewell County:	51/185		1497748
Cedar Bluff:	51/13784		2390773

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 Cedar Bluff, it is a point within Cedar Bluff 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 Cedar Bluff, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   37° 5' 13"   (or 37.09°)

Lon:   -81° 45' 48"   (or -81.76°)  

Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Cedar Bluff - 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 Cedar Bluff, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as:

Lat:   37° 5' 13"   (or 37.09°)

Lon:   -81° 45' 49"   (or -81.76°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 57.3 feet to the southwest<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:   37° 5' 17"   (or 37.09°)

Lon:   -81° 45' 53"   (or -81.76°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 499.5 feet to the northwest<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. Cedar Bluff is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Cedar Bluff is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Cedar Bluff is located in Region III (Region 3).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Cedar Bluff is located in Region III (Region 3).

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 town like Cedar Bluff, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Cedar Bluff. 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 Cedar Bluff: 24609<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1500063   (Name of Record: Cedar Bluff)

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: Tazewell

Map Name: Richlands

Lat: 37.0876141       Lon: -81.7590032  

Elev: 598 ft.

GNIS ID #2390773   (Name of Record: Town of Cedar Bluff)

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: Tazewell

Map Name: Richlands

Lat: 37.0871502       Lon: -81.763506  

Elev: 602 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 51/13784   (Place Name: Cedar Bluff)

County: Tazewell     (FIPS State/County: 51/185)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Cedar Bluff) that does not serve as a primary county division - or in other words, it is included in and is part of a primary county division (ie- Tazewell County).

GSA Code: 420

MRF Code: 215

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Cedar Bluff. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.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)