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 numeric code 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 Sandy Springs: 2405417

GNIS ID for Fulton County: 1694833

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 Sandy Springs:

Place (Community) Code:	68516
State Code:	13 (Georgia)
County Code:	121 (Fulton 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:	13/68516
State/County Code:	13/121

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
Fulton County:	13/121		1694833
Sandy Springs:	13/68516		2405417

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

Lat: 33° 56' 12" (or 33.94°)

Lon: -84° 22' 12" (or -84.37°)

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

Lat: 33° 55' 53" (or 33.93°)

Lon: -84° 22' 7" (or -84.37°)

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 1,964 feet to the south<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. Sandy Springs is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

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

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

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #332975 (Name of Record: Sandy Springs)

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: Fulton

Map Name: Sandy Springs

Lat: 33.9242688 Lon: -84.3785379

Elev: 334 ft.

GNIS ID #2405417 (Name of Record: City of Sandy Springs)

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: Fulton

Map Name: Chamblee

Lat: 33.9367294 Lon: -84.370257

Elev: 300 ft.