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 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 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 Smith's Station: 2405476

GNIS ID for Lee County: 161566

GNIS ID for Alabama: 1779775

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 Smith's Station:

Place (Community) Code:	71190
State Code:	01 (Alabama)
County Code:	081 (Lee 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:	01/71190
State/County Code:	01/081

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 Alabama:	01		1779775
Lee County:	01/081		161566
Smith's Station:	01/71190		2405476

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 Smith's Station, it is a point within Smith's Station 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 Smith's Station, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   32° 32' 37"   (or 32.54°)

Lon:   -85° 6' 41"   (or -85.11°)  

Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Smith's Station - 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 Smith's Station, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as:

Lat:   32° 32' 6"   (or 32.54°)

Lon:   -85° 6' 38"   (or -85.11°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 3,101 feet to the south<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above).

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Smith's Station is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Smith's Station is located in Division #6 (the East South-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Smith's Station is located in Region IV (Region 4).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Smith's Station is located in Region IV (Region 4).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #127045   (Name of Record: Smiths Station)

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: Lee

Map Name: Smiths Station

Lat: 32.5401393       Lon: -85.0985473  

Elev: 162 ft.

GNIS ID #2405476   (Name of Record: City of Smiths Station)

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: Lee

Map Name: Smiths Station

Lat: 32.5436667       Lon: -85.111518  

Elev: 159 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 01/71190   (Place Name: Smiths Station)

County: Lee     (FIPS State/County: 01/081)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Smith's Station) that is wholly or substantially located outside the boundaries of any incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) that has an authoritative common name recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.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)