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 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 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 West Almond: 969078

GNIS ID for Allegany County: 974100

GNIS ID for New York: 1779796

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 West Almond:

Place (Community) Code:	79191
State Code:	36 (New York)
County Code:	003 (Allegany 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:	36/79191
State/County Code:	36/003

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 York:	36		1779796
Allegany County:	36/003		974100
West Almond:	36/79191		969078

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

Lat:   42° 17' 58"   (or 42.3°)

Lon:   -77° 52' 58"   (or -77.88°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. West Almond is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. West Almond is located in Division #2 (the Middle Atlantic Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. West Almond is located in Region II (Region 2).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. West Almond is located in Region II (Region 2).

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 community like West Almond, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) West Almond. 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 West Almond: 14804<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #969078   (Name of Record: West Almond)

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: Allegany

Map Name: West Almond

Lat: 42.2995132       Lon: -77.8830553  

Elev: 565 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 36/79191   (Place Name: West Almond)

County: Allegany     (FIPS State/County: 36/003)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- West Almond) that is wholly or substantially located outside the boundaries of any incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) that has an authoritative common name recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for West Almond. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Allegany County: www.alleganyco.com/

The official website for State of New York: https://www.ny.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)