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 Athens: 354407

GNIS ID for Clarke County: 1672699

GNIS ID for Georgia: 1705317

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 Athens:

Place (Community) Code:	03432
State Code:	13 (Georgia)
County Code:	059 (Clarke 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:	13/03432
State/County Code:	13/059

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 Georgia:	13		1705317
Clarke County:	13/059		1672699
Athens:	13/03432		354407

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

Lat:   33° 57' 39"   (or 33.96°)

Lon:   -83° 22' 40"   (or -83.38°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Athens is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

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

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

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 Athens, 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 Athens : 30601, 30602, 30603, 30604, 30605, 30606, 30607, 30608 & 30609.<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #354407   (Name of Record: Athens)

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: Clarke

Map Name: Athens West

Lat: 33.960948       Lon: -83.3779358  

Elev: 228 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 13/03432   (Place Name: Athens (corp name Athens-Clarke County))

County: Clarke     (FIPS State/County: 13/059)

Class: C4

Part-of-Code: 3436

GSA Code: 270

MSA Code: 500

FIPS Code: 13/03436   (Place Name: Athens-Clarke County (corp name for Athens))

County: Clarke     (FIPS State/County: 13/059)

Class: C3

MSA Code: 500

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Georgia: https://georgia.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)