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 numeric 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 Petaluma: 2411407

GNIS ID for Sonoma County: 1657246

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 Petaluma:

Place (Community) Code:	56784
State Code:	06 (California)
County Code:	097 (Sonoma 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:	06/56784
State/County Code:	06/097

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
Sonoma County:	06/097		1657246
Petaluma:	06/56784		2411407

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

Lat:   38° 14' 30"   (or 38.24°)

Lon:   -122° 37' 35"   (or -122.63°)  

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

Lat:   38° 14' 33"   (or 38.24°)

Lon:   -122° 37' 42"   (or -122.63°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 632 feet to the northwest<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:   38° 14' 45"   (or 38.25°)

Lon:   -122° 37' 52"   (or -122.63°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 1,431 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. Petaluma is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

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

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

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

ZIP Codes ...

While some people have used ZIP codes to identify a community, the ZIP codes were actually created to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although a ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a community like Petaluma, they do identify addresses that are in (or near) the community. 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.

Our list of ZIP codes for Petaluma : 94952, 94953, 94954, 94975 & 94999.<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #230555   (Name of Record: Petaluma)

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: Sonoma

Map Name: Glen Ellen

Lat: 38.2613045       Lon: -122.5369273  

Elev: 225 ft.

GNIS ID #277575   (Name of Record: Petaluma)

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: Sonoma

Map Name: Petaluma

Lat: 38.232417       Lon: -122.6366524  

Elev: 9 ft.

GNIS ID #1799119   (Name of Record: Petaluma (historical))

Class: populated place

County: Sonoma

Map Name: Unknown

Lat: 0       Lon: 0  

GNIS ID #2411407   (Name of Record: City of Petaluma)

Class: civil

County: Sonoma

Map Name: Petaluma

Lat: 38.24192       Lon: -122.62641  

Elev: 9 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 06/56784   (Place Name: Petaluma)

County: Sonoma     (FIPS State/County: 06/097)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Petaluma) 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- Sonoma County).

GSA Code: 2740

MRF Code: 2140

MSA Code: 7500

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Petaluma: www.cityofpetaluma.net/

The official website for Sonoma County: www.sonoma-county.org/

The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.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)