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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 numeric 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 Bessemer City: 2403865

GNIS ID for Gaston County: 1008554

GNIS ID for North Carolina: 1027616

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 Bessemer City:

Place (Community) Code:  05220
State Code:  37 (North Carolina)
County Code:  071 (Gaston 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:  37/05220
State/County Code:  37/071

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 North Carolina:    37   1027616
Gaston County:    37/071   1008554
Bessemer City:    37/05220   2403865

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

Lat:   35° 17' 4"   (or 35.28°)

Lon:   -81° 17' 2"   (or -81.28°)  

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

Lat:   35° 17' 5"   (or 35.28°)

Lon:   -81° 17' 6"   (or -81.29°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 271 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:   35° 17' 3"   (or 35.28°)

Lon:   -81° 16' 58"   (or -81.28°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 675 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. Bessemer City is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Bessemer City is located in Region IV (Region 4).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Bessemer City is located in Region IV (Region 4).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #981053   (Name of Record: Bessemer City)

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: Gaston

Map Name: Bessemer City

Lat: 35.2848579       Lon: -81.28397  

Elev: 275 ft.


GNIS ID #2403865   (Name of Record: City of Bessemer City)

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: Gaston

Map Name: Bessemer City

Lat: 35.2846712       Lon: -81.284142  

Elev: 279 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 37/05220   (Place Name: Bessemer City)

County: Gaston     (FIPS State/County: 37/071)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Bessemer City) 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- Gaston County).

GSA Code: 430

MRF Code: 255

MSA Code: 1520

The official website for Bessemer City: www.bessemercity.com/

The official website for Gaston County: www.co.gaston.nc.us/

The official website for State of North Carolina: https://www.nc.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 85 degrees and a distance of 271 feet.
<2>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2000 Census location is 255 degrees and a distance of 675 feet.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 10 Mar 2024