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 numeric 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 Star Valley: 2413328

GNIS ID for Gila County: 40471

GNIS ID for Arizona: 1779777

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 Star Valley:

Place (Community) Code:	69480
State Code:	04 (Arizona)
County Code:	007 (Gila 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:	04/69480
State/County Code:	04/007

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 Arizona:	04		1779777
Gila County:	04/007		40471
Star Valley:	04/69480		2413328

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 Star Valley, it is a point within Star Valley 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 Star Valley, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   34° 15' 29"   (or 34.26°)

Lon:   -111° 14' 38"   (or -111.24°)  

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

Lat:   34° 15' 15"   (or 34.25°)

Lon:   -111° 13' 16"   (or -111.22°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 7,057 feet to the east<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. Star Valley is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Star Valley is located in Division #8 (the Mountain Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Star Valley is located in Region IX (Region 9).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Star Valley is located in Region IX (Region 9).

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 Star Valley, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Star Valley. 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 Star Valley: 85541<2>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #34798   (Name of Record: Star Valley)

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: Gila

Map Name: Payson North

Lat: 34.2550351       Lon: -111.2584672  

Elev: 1420 ft.

GNIS ID #2413328   (Name of Record: Town of Star Valley)

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: Gila

Map Name: Diamond Point

Lat: 34.2582798       Lon: -111.24401  

Elev: 1492 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 04/69480   (Place Name: Star Valley)

County: Gila     (FIPS State/County: 04/007)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Star Valley) 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 ...

The official website for Star Valley: www.ci.star-valley.az.us/

The official website for Gila County: www.co.gila.az.us/

The official website for State of Arizona: https://az.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)