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 Canton: 1867315

GNIS ID for Wayne County: 1623022

GNIS ID for Michigan: 1779789

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies worked together to create 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 Canton:

Place (Community) Code:	13110
State Code:	26 (Michigan)
County Code:	163 (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:	26/13110
State/County Code:	26/163

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 Michigan:	26		1779789
Wayne County:	26/163		1623022
Canton:	26/13110		1867315

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

Lat: 42° 18' 31" (or 42.31°)

Lon: -83° 28' 55" (or -83.48°)

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Canton is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

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

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Canton 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 community like Canton, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Canton. 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 Canton: 48187-48188<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1867315 (Name of Record: Canton)

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: Wayne

Lat: 42.3086486 Lon: -83.4821579

Elev: 207 ft.