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 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 Swanlake: 398205

GNIS ID for Bannock County: 395091

GNIS ID for Idaho: 1779783

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 Swanlake:

Place (Community) Code:	79030
State Code:	16 (Idaho)
County Code:	005 (Bannock 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:	16/79030
State/County Code:	16/005

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 Idaho:	16		1779783
Bannock County:	16/005		395091
Swanlake:	16/79030		398205

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

Lat: 42° 18' 27" (or 42.31°)

Lon: -111° 59' 55" (or -112°)

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Swanlake is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Swanlake is located in Region X (Region 10).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Swanlake is located in Region X (Region 10).

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 community like Swanlake, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Swanlake. 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 Swanlake: 83281<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #391736 (Name of Record: Swanlake)

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: Bannock

Map Name: Oxford

Lat: 42.3129761 Lon: -112.0038471

Elev: 1458 ft.

GNIS ID #398205 (Name of Record: Swan Lake)

Class: populated place

County: Bannock

Map Name: Swan Lake

Lat: 42.3076984 Lon: -111.9988469

Elev: 1463 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 16/78940 (Place Name: Swanlake (Swan Lake))

County: Bannock (FIPS State/County: 16/005)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Swanlake) that is wholly or substantially located outside the boundaries of any incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) that has an authoritative common name recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

GSA Code: 1779

MSA Code: 6340

FIPS Code: 16/79030 (Place Name: Swan Lake (Swanlake))

County: Bannock (FIPS State/County: 16/005)

Class: U6

GSA Code: 1779

MSA Code: 6340