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 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 Golden Gate: 2398173

GNIS ID for Wayne County: 424296

GNIS ID for Illinois: 1779784

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 Golden Gate:

Place (Community) Code:	30250
State Code:	17 (Illinois)
County Code:	191 (Wayne 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:	17/30250
State/County Code:	17/191

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 Illinois:	17		1779784
Wayne County:	17/191		424296
Golden Gate:	17/30250		2398173

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

Lat:   38° 21' 31"   (or 38.36°)

Lon:   -88° 12' 17"   (or -88.2°)  

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

Lat:   38° 21' 31"   (or 38.36°)

Lon:   -88° 12' 17"   (or -88.2°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 0.78 feet to the south<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:   38° 21' 31"   (or 38.36°)

Lon:   -88° 12' 15"   (or -88.2°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 129.2 feet to the southeast<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. Golden Gate is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Golden Gate is located in Division #3 (the East North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Golden Gate is located in Region V (Region 5).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Golden Gate is located in Region V (Region 5).

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 village like Golden Gate, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Golden Gate. 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 Golden Gate: 62843<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #409121   (Name of Record: Golden Gate)

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: Wayne

Map Name: Golden Gate

Lat: 38.3594924       Lon: -88.2042078  

Elev: 121 ft.

GNIS ID #2398173   (Name of Record: Village of Golden Gate)

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: Wayne

Map Name: Golden Gate

Lat: 38.3588856       Lon: -88.204804  

Elev: 122 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 17/30250   (Place Name: Golden Gate (corporate and RR name for Goldengate))

County: Wayne     (FIPS State/County: 17/191)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Golden Gate) 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- Wayne County).

MRF Code: 2253

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.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)