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 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 Dove Creek: 2412446

GNIS ID for Dolores County: 198132

GNIS ID for Colorado: 1779779

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 Dove Creek:

Place (Community) Code:	21265
State Code:	08 (Colorado)
County Code:	033 (Dolores 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:	08/21265
State/County Code:	08/033

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 Colorado:	08		1779779
Dolores County:	08/033		198132
Dove Creek:	08/21265		2412446

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

Lat:   37° 45' 59"   (or 37.77°)

Lon:   -108° 54' 22"   (or -108.91°)  

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

Lat:   37° 46' 0"   (or 37.77°)

Lon:   -108° 54' 22"   (or -108.91°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 32.98 feet to the west<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° 45' 57"   (or 37.77°)

Lon:   -108° 54' 20"   (or -108.91°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 302.1 feet to the southeast<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. Dove Creek is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Dove Creek is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Dove Creek is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

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 town like Dove Creek, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Dove Creek. 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 Dove Creek: 81324<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #176436   (Name of Record: Dove Creek)

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: Dolores

Map Name: Dove Creek

Lat: 37.7661       Lon: -108.9059393  

Elev: 2086 ft.

GNIS ID #2412446   (Name of Record: Town of Dove Creek)

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: Dolores

Map Name: Dove Creek

Lat: 37.7666455       Lon: -108.90619  

Elev: 2087 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 08/21265   (Place Name: Dove Creek)

County: Dolores     (FIPS State/County: 08/033)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Dove Creek) 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- Dolores County).

GSA Code: 640

MRF Code: 340

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.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)