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 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 Hudsonville: 1626501

GNIS ID for Ottawa County: 1623012

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 Hudsonville:

Place (Community) Code:	39800
State Code:	26 (Michigan)
County Code:	139 (Ottawa 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:	26/39800
State/County Code:	26/139

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
Ottawa County:	26/139		1623012
Hudsonville:	26/39800		1626501

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

Lat:   42° 51' 54"   (or 42.87°)

Lon:   -85° 51' 47"   (or -85.86°)  

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

Lat:   42° 51' 48"   (or 42.86°)

Lon:   -85° 51' 43"   (or -85.86°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 648 feet to the south<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:   42° 51' 54"   (or 42.87°)

Lon:   -85° 51' 47"   (or -85.86°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 649 feet to the north<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. Hudsonville is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

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

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Hudsonville 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 city like Hudsonville, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Hudsonville. 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 Hudsonville: 49426<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #628773   (Name of Record: Hudsonville)

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: Ottawa

Map Name: Hudsonville East

Lat: 42.870859       Lon: -85.8650358  

Elev: 193 ft.

GNIS ID #1626501   (Name of Record: City of Hudsonville)

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: Ottawa

Map Name: Hudsonville East

Lat: 42.8650259       Lon: -85.8630912  

Elev: 196 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 26/39800   (Place Name: Hudsonville)

County: Ottawa     (FIPS State/County: 26/139)

Class: C5

GSA Code: 2400

MRF Code: 1305

MSA Code: 3000

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Hudsonville: www.hudsonville.org/

The official website for Ottawa County: www.co.ottawa.mi.us/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.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)