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 Dodge City: 485563

GNIS ID for Ford County: 484997

GNIS ID for Kansas: 481813

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 Dodge City:

Place (Community) Code:	18250
State Code:	20 (Kansas)
County Code:	057 (Ford 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:	20/18250
State/County Code:	20/057

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 Kansas:	20		481813
Ford County:	20/057		484997
Dodge City:	20/18250		485563

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

Lat:   37° 45' 31"   (or 37.76°)

Lon:   -100° 0' 56"   (or -100.02°)  

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

Lat:   37° 45' 38"   (or 37.76°)

Lon:   -100° 1' 4"   (or -100.02°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 972 feet to the northwest<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:   37° 45' 34"   (or 37.76°)

Lon:   -100° 1' 5"   (or -100.02°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 377.9 feet to the south<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. Dodge City is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Dodge City is located in Division #4 (the West North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Dodge City is located in Region VII (Region 7).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Dodge City is located in Region VII (Region 7).

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 Dodge City, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Dodge 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.

The ZIP code for Dodge City: 67801<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #485563   (Name of Record: City of Dodge City)

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: Ford

Map Name: Dodge City

Lat: 37.7586314       Lon: -100.0156898  

Elev: 783 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 20/18250   (Place Name: Dodge City)

County: Ford     (FIPS State/County: 20/057)

Class: C5

GSA Code: 1370

MRF Code: 695

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Dodge City: www.dodgecity.org/

The official website for Ford County: www.fordcounty.net/

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.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)