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, chose 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 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 Edgewood: 2412467

GNIS ID for Santa Fe County: 933322

GNIS ID for New Mexico: 897535

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 Edgewood:

Place (Community) Code:	22370
State Code:	35 (New Mexico)
County Code:	049 (Santa Fe 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:	35/22370
State/County Code:	35/049

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 New Mexico:	35		897535
Santa Fe County:	35/049		933322
Edgewood:	35/22370		2412467

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

Lat:   35° 3' 30"   (or 35.06°)

Lon:   -106° 9' 24"   (or -106.16°)  

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

Lat:   35° 8' 16"   (or 35.14°)

Lon:   -106° 12' 54"   (or -106.22°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 6 miles to the northwest<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above).

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Edgewood is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Edgewood is located in Division #8 (the Mountain Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Edgewood is located in Region VI (Region 6).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Edgewood is located in Region VI (Region 6).

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 town like Edgewood, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Edgewood. 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 Edgewood: 87015<2>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #902818   (Name of Record: Edgewood)

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: Santa Fe

Map Name: Edgewood

Lat: 35.0614358       Lon: -106.1914141  

Elev: 2026 ft.

GNIS ID #2412467   (Name of Record: Town of Edgewood)

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: Santa Fe

Map Name: Edgewood

Lat: 35.0584127       Lon: -106.15685  

Elev: 1988 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 35/22370   (Place Name: Edgewood)

County: Santa Fe     (FIPS State/County: 35/049      Count/Seq: 02/01)

Class: U1

GSA Code: 261

MRF Code: 111

MSA Code: 7490

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Edgewood: www.townofedgewood.com/

The official website for Santa Fe County: www.co.santa-fe.nm.us/

The official website for State of New Mexico: www.newmexico.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)