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 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 Mount Desert: 582611

GNIS ID for Hancock County: 581290

GNIS ID for Maine: 1779787

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 Mount Desert:

Place (Community) Code:	47595
State Code:	23 (Maine)
County Code:	009 (Hancock 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:	23/47595
State/County Code:	23/009

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 Maine:	23		1779787
Hancock County:	23/009		581290
Mount Desert:	23/47595		582611

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

Lat:   44° 19' 59"   (or 44.33°)

Lon:   -68° 19' 40"   (or -68.33°)  

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

Lat:   44° 20' 1"   (or 44.33°)

Lon:   -68° 19' 49"   (or -68.33°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 705 feet to the west<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:   44° 19' 49"   (or 44.33°)

Lon:   -68° 19' 3"   (or -68.32°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 3,503 feet to the east<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. Mount Desert is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Mount Desert is located in Division #1 (the New England Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Mount Desert is located in Region I (Region 1).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Mount Desert is located in Region I (Region 1).

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 Mount Desert, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Mount Desert. 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 Mount Desert: 04660<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #582611   (Name of Record: Town of Mount Desert)

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: Hancock

Map Name: Southwest Harbor

Lat: 44.3331351       Lon: -68.3277946  

Elev: 55 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 23/47595   (Place Name: Mount Desert (Somesville))

County: Hancock     (FIPS State/County: 23/009)

Class: U8

Identifies a populated place (in this case, Mount Desert) located wholly or substantially outside the boundaries of an incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) but whose name has not been verified as authoritative by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

GSA Code: 5344

FIPS Code: 23/47630   (Place Name: Mount Desert (Town of))

County: Hancock     (FIPS State/County: 23/009)

Class: T1

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for Hancock County: www.co.hancock.me.us/

The official website for State of Maine: https://www.maine.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)