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 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 Damascus: 2404181

GNIS ID for Early County: 345041

GNIS ID for Georgia: 1705317

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 Damascus:

Place (Community) Code:	21436
State Code:	13 (Georgia)
County Code:	099 (Early 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:	13/21436
State/County Code:	13/099

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 Georgia:	13		1705317
Early County:	13/099		345041
Damascus:	13/21436		2404181

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

Lat:   31° 17' 55"   (or 31.3°)

Lon:   -84° 43' 1"   (or -84.72°)  

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

Lat:   31° 17' 54"   (or 31.3°)

Lon:   -84° 43' 1"   (or -84.72°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 136.7 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:   31° 17' 54"   (or 31.3°)

Lon:   -84° 43' 2"   (or -84.72°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 76.7 feet to the west<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. Damascus is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Damascus 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 city like Damascus, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Damascus. 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 Damascus: 39841<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #355426   (Name of Record: Damascus)

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: Early

Map Name: Damascus

Lat: 31.2990682       Lon: -84.7188077  

Elev: 67 ft.

GNIS ID #2404181   (Name of Record: City of Damascus)

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: Early

Map Name: Damascus

Lat: 31.2988421       Lon: -84.71698  

Elev: 68 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 13/21436   (Place Name: Damascus)

County: Early     (FIPS State/County: 13/099)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Damascus) 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- Early County).

GSA Code: 1520

MRF Code: 780

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Damascus. 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)