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 identification number 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 Los Molinos: 277548

GNIS ID for Tehama County: 1692767

GNIS ID for California: 1779778

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 Los Molinos:

Place (Community) Code:	44140
State Code:	06 (California)
County Code:	103 (Tehama 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:	06/44140
State/County Code:	06/103

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 California:	06		1779778
Tehama County:	06/103		1692767
Los Molinos:	06/44140		277548

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 Los Molinos, it is a point within Los Molinos 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 Los Molinos, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat: 40° 1' 16" (or 40.02°)

Lon: -122° 6' 0" (or -122.1°)

Regional Codes ...

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

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

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Los Molinos 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 Los Molinos, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Los Molinos. 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 Los Molinos: 96055<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #277548 (Name of Record: Los Molinos)

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: Tehama

Map Name: Los Molinos

Lat: 40.0212684 Lon: -122.1002666

Elev: 68 ft.