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 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 Loxahatchee Groves: 2406054

GNIS ID for Palm Beach County: 295761

GNIS ID for Florida: 294478

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 Loxahatchee Groves:

Place (Community) Code:	41577
State Code:	12 (Florida)
County Code:	099 (Palm Beach 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:	12/41577
State/County Code:	12/099

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 Florida:	12		294478
Palm Beach County:	12/099		295761
Loxahatchee Groves:	12/41577		2406054

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

Lat:   26° 42' 37"   (or 26.71°)

Lon:   -80° 16' 34"   (or -80.28°)  

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

Lat:   26° 42' 39"   (or 26.71°)

Lon:   -80° 16' 32"   (or -80.28°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 260.1 feet to the northeast<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. Loxahatchee Groves is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Loxahatchee Groves is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Loxahatchee Groves is located in Region IV (Region 4).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Loxahatchee Groves is located in Region IV (Region 4).

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 Loxahatchee Groves, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Loxahatchee Groves. 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 Loxahatchee Groves: 33470<2>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #286185   (Name of Record: Loxahatchee Groves)

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: Palm Beach

Map Name: Loxahatchee

Lat: 26.6836769       Lon: -80.27977  

Elev: 6 ft.

GNIS ID #2406054   (Name of Record: Town of Loxahatchee Groves)

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: Palm Beach

Map Name: Loxahatchee

Lat: 26.7104714       Lon: -80.27633  

Elev: 6 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for Palm Beach County: www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/

The official website for State of Florida: https://www.myflorida.com/

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)