RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Louisiana >> Calcasieu Parish >> Bell City >> MiscellaneousIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Louisiana


The Commemorative Quarter for Louisiana







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 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 Bell City: 553581

GNIS ID for Calcasieu Parish: 558468

GNIS ID for Louisiana: 1629543

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 Bell City:

Place (Community) Code:  05980
State Code:  22 (Louisiana)
County Code:  019 (Calcasieu Parish)

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:  22/05980
State/County Code:  22/019

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 Louisiana:    22   1629543
Calcasieu Parish:    22/019   558468
Bell City:    22/05980   553581

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

Lat:   30° 6' 47"   (or 30.11°)

Lon:   -92° 57' 45"   (or -92.96°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Bell City is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Bell City is located in Division #7 (the West South-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Bell City is located in Region VI (Region 6).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Bell City is located in Region VI (Region 6).

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 Bell City, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Bell 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 Bell City: 70630<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #553581   (Name of Record: Bell City)

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: Calcasieu

Map Name: Hayes

Lat: 30.1132638       Lon: -92.9626512  

Elev: 2 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 22/05980   (Place Name: Bell City)

County: Calcasieu     (FIPS State/County: 22/019)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Bell City) 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: 166

MSA Code: 3960

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

The official website for Calcasieu Parish: www.cppj.net/

The official website for State of Louisiana: https://www.louisiana.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)

Footnotes ...

<1>When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Bell City or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS).









 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 20 Sep 2024