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 new 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 Barton: 1035923

GNIS ID for Pierce County: 1034230

GNIS ID for North Dakota: 1779797

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies created 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 Barton:

Place (Community) Code:	05220
State Code:	38 (North Dakota)
County Code:	069 (Pierce 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:	38/05220
State/County Code:	38/069

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 Dakota:	38		1779797
Pierce County:	38/069		1034230
Barton:	38/05220		1035923

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

Lat: 48° 30' 20" (or 48.51°)

Lon: -100° 10' 42" (or -100.18°)

Regional Codes ...

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

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Barton is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Barton is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1027821 (Name of Record: Barton)

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: Pierce

Map Name: Barton

Lat: 48.5069406 Lon: -100.1762455

Elev: 459 ft.

GNIS ID #1035923 (Name of Record: City of Barton)

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: Pierce

Map Name: Barton

Lat: 48.5058294 Lon: -100.1784677

Elev: 459 ft.