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 Saint Louis: 767557

GNIS ID for Missouri: 1779791

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

Lat:   38° 37' 38"   (or 38.63°)

Lon:   -90° 11' 52"   (or -90.2°)  

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

Lat:   38° 38' 8"   (or 38.64°)

Lon:   -90° 14' 40"   (or -90.24°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 2 miles 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:   38° 37' 39"   (or 38.63°)

Lon:   -90° 14' 34"   (or -90.24°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 2,953 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. Saint Louis is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Saint Louis is located in Division #4 (the West North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Saint Louis is located in Region VII (Region 7).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Saint Louis is located in Region VII (Region 7).

ZIP Codes ...

While some people have used ZIP codes to identify a community, the ZIP codes were actually created to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although a ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like Saint Louis, they do identify addresses that are in (or near) the 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.

Our list of ZIP codes for Saint Louis :

63101, 63102, 63103, 63104, 63105, 63106, 63107, 63108, 63109, 63110, 63111, 63112, 63113, 63114, 63115, 63116, 63117, 63118, 63119, 63120, 63121, 63122, 63123, 63124, 63125, 63126, 63127, 63128, 63129, 63130, 63131, 63132, 63133, 63134, 63135, 63136, 63137, 63138, 63139, 63140, 63141, 63142, 63143, 63144, 63145, 63146, 63150, 63155, 63156, 63157, 63160, 63163, 63166, 63169, 63171, 63177, 63178, 63179, 63182, 63188, 63195, 63196, 63197, 63198 & 63199.<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #765765   (Name of Record: Saint Louis)

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: St. Louis (city)

Map Name: Granite City

Lat: 38.6272733       Lon: -90.1978889  

Elev: 142 ft.

GNIS ID #767557   (Name of Record: City of Saint Louis)

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: St. Louis (city)

Map Name: Granite City

Lat: 38.6272733       Lon: -90.1978889  

Elev: 142 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 29/65000   (Place Name: St. Louis)

County: St. Louis (city)     (FIPS State/County: 29/510)

Class: C7

GSA Code: 7080

MRF Code: 3875

MSA Code: 7040

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Saint Louis: www.stlouis.missouri.org/

The official website for State of Missouri: https://www.mo.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)