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 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 Prudhoe Bay: 1865563

GNIS ID for Alaska: 1785533

GPS Location - GNIS Coordinates ...

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 Prudhoe Bay, it is a point within Prudhoe Bay 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 Prudhoe Bay, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   70° 17' 31"   (or 70.3°)

Lon:   -148° 40' 9"   (or -148.67°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Prudhoe Bay is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Prudhoe Bay is located in Division #9 (the Pacific Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Prudhoe Bay is located in Region X (Region 10).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Prudhoe Bay is located in Region X (Region 10).

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 community like Prudhoe Bay, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Prudhoe Bay. 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 Prudhoe Bay: 99734<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 02/64380   (Place Name: Prudhoe Bay)

County: North Slope     (FIPS State/County: 02/185)

Class: U1

GSA Code: 2173

MRF Code: 2770