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 Redwood City: 2410919

GNIS ID for San Mateo County: 277305

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 Redwood City:

Place (Community) Code:	60102
State Code:	06 (California)
County Code:	081 (San Mateo 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:	06/60102
State/County Code:	06/081

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 California:	06		1779778
San Mateo County:	06/081		277305
Redwood City:	06/60102		2410919

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

Lat:   37° 31' 2"   (or 37.52°)

Lon:   -122° 12' 39"   (or -122.21°)  

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

Lat:   37° 30' 54"   (or 37.52°)

Lon:   -122° 12' 49"   (or -122.21°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 1,110 feet to the southwest<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:   37° 28' 58"   (or 37.48°)

Lon:   -122° 14' 9"   (or -122.24°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 2 miles to the southwest<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. Redwood City is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

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

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Redwood City 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 city like Redwood City, they do identify addresses that are in (or near) the city. 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 Redwood City : 94059, 94061, 94062, 94063, 94064 & 94065.<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #277584   (Name of Record: Redwood City)

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: San Mateo

Map Name: Palo Alto

Lat: 37.4852152       Lon: -122.2363548  

Elev: 6 ft.

GNIS ID #2410919   (Name of Record: City of Redwood City)

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: San Mateo

Map Name: Redwood Point

Lat: 37.5173734       Lon: -122.21089  

Elev: 2 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 06/60102   (Place Name: Redwood City)

County: San Mateo     (FIPS State/County: 06/081)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Redwood City) 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- San Mateo County).

GSA Code: 2980

MRF Code: 2305

MSA Code: 7360

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Redwood City: www.redwoodcity.org/

The official website for San Mateo County: www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/

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)