RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maryland >> Wicomico County >> Salisbury >> MiscellaneousIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Maryland


The Commemorative Quarter for Maryland







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 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 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 Salisbury: 2390649

GNIS ID for Wicomico County: 1668606

GNIS ID for Maryland: 1714934

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 Salisbury:

Place (Community) Code:  69925
State Code:  24 (Maryland)
County Code:  045 (Wicomico 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:  24/69925
State/County Code:  24/045

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 Maryland:    24   1714934
Wicomico County:    24/045   1668606
Salisbury:    24/69925   2390649

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

Lat:   38° 22' 26"   (or 38.37°)

Lon:   -75° 35' 13"   (or -75.59°)  

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

Lat:   38° 22' 36"   (or 38.38°)

Lon:   -75° 35' 18"   (or -75.59°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 1,098 feet to the north<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' 56"   (or 38.37°)

Lon:   -75° 35' 36"   (or -75.59°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 4,274 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. Salisbury is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Salisbury is located in Region III (Region 3).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Salisbury is located in Region III (Region 3).

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 Salisbury, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Salisbury. 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 Salisbury: 21801-21804<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #591221   (Name of Record: Salisbury)

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: Wicomico

Map Name: Salisbury

Lat: 38.3606736       Lon: -75.5993692  

Elev: 7 ft.


GNIS ID #2390649   (Name of Record: City of Salisbury)

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: Wicomico

Map Name: Salisbury

Lat: 38.3740003       Lon: -75.587221  

Elev: 10 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 24/69925   (Place Name: Salisbury)

County: Wicomico     (FIPS State/County: 24/045)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Salisbury) 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- Wicomico County).

GSA Code: 1380

MRF Code: 865

The official website for Salisbury: www.ci.salisbury.md.us/

The official website for Wicomico County: www.wicomicocounty.org/

The official website for State of Maryland: www.maryland.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>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS-supplied location is 17 degrees and a distance of 1,098 feet.
<2>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2000 Census location is 160 degrees and a distance of 4,274 feet.
<3>When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Salisbury 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: 10 Mar 2024