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 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 Washington Court House: 1086095

GNIS ID for Fayette County: 1074036

GNIS ID for Ohio: 1085497

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 Washington Court House:

Place (Community) Code:	81718
State Code:	39 (Ohio)
County Code:	047 (Fayette 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:	39/81718
State/County Code:	39/047

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 Ohio:	39		1085497
Fayette County:	39/047		1074036
Washington Court House:	39/81718		1086095

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 Washington Court House, it is a point within Washington Court House 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 Washington Court House, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   39° 32' 9"   (or 39.54°)

Lon:   -83° 26' 6"   (or -83.44°)  

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

Lat:   39° 32' 19"   (or 39.54°)

Lon:   -83° 25' 40"   (or -83.43°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 2,308 feet to the northeast<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. Washington Court House is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Washington Court House is located in Division #3 (the East North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Washington Court House is located in Region V (Region 5).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Washington Court House is located in Region V (Region 5).

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 city like Washington Court House, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Washington Court House. 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 Washington Court House: 43160<2>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1085492   (Name of Record: Washington Court House)

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: Fayette

Map Name: Washington Court House

Lat: 39.5364511       Lon: -83.4390843  

Elev: 297 ft.

GNIS ID #1086095   (Name of Record: City of Washington Court House)

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: Fayette

Map Name: Washington Court House

Lat: 39.5358955       Lon: -83.4351954  

Elev: 292 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 39/81718   (Place Name: Washington Court House (corporate name Washington))

County: Fayette     (FIPS State/County: 39/047)

Class: C4

GSA Code: 8570

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Washington Court House: www.ci.washington-court-house.oh.us/

The official website for Fayette County: www.fayette-co-oh.com/

The official website for State of Ohio: https://ohio.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)