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 Carolina Beach: 2405381
GNIS ID for New Hanover County: 1026329
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 Carolina Beach:
| Place (Community) Code: | 10500 |
| State Code: | 37 (North Carolina) |
| County Code: | 129 (New Hanover 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: | 37/10500 |
| State/County Code: | 37/129 |
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 | |
| New Hanover County: | 37/129 | 1026329 | |
| Carolina Beach: | 37/10500 | 2405381 |
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 Carolina Beach, it is a point within Carolina Beach 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 Carolina Beach, the GNIS GPS location is given as:
Lat: 34° 2' 23" (or 34.04°)
Lon: -77° 53' 46" (or -77.9°)
Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Carolina Beach - 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 Carolina Beach, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as:
Lat: 34° 2' 26" (or 34.04°)
Lon: -77° 53' 55" (or -77.9°)
The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 801 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: 34° 2' 12" (or 34.04°)
Lon: -77° 53' 48" (or -77.9°)
The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 1,531 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. Carolina Beach is located in Region #3 (the South Region).
In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Carolina Beach is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Carolina Beach is located in Region IV (Region 4).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Carolina Beach is located in Region IV (Region 4).
Referenced GNIS Records ...
GNIS ID #982655 (Name of Record: Carolina Beach)
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: New Hanover
Map Name: Carolina Beach
Lat: 34.0351727 Lon: -77.8935966
Elev: 2 ft.
GNIS ID #2405381 (Name of Record: Town of Carolina Beach)
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: New Hanover
Map Name: Carolina Beach
Lat: 34.0399365 Lon: -77.896159
Elev: 4 ft.
Referenced FIPS Records ...
FIPS Code: 37/10500 (Place Name: Carolina Beach)
County: New Hanover (FIPS State/County: 37/129)
Class: C1
Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Carolina Beach) 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- New Hanover County).
GSA Code: 770
MRF Code: 430
MSA Code: 9200
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Carolina Beach: www.carolinabeach.org/
The official website for New Hanover County: www.nhcgov.com/
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)