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 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 Medicine Park: 2412976

GNIS ID for Comanche County: 1101803

GNIS ID for Oklahoma: 1102857

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 Medicine Park:

Place (Community) Code:	47350
State Code:	40 (Oklahoma)
County Code:	031 (Comanche 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:	40/47350
State/County Code:	40/031

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 Oklahoma:	40		1102857
Comanche County:	40/031		1101803
Medicine Park:	40/47350		2412976

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

Lat:   34° 43' 43"   (or 34.73°)

Lon:   -98° 29' 46"   (or -98.5°)  

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

Lat:   34° 44' 3"   (or 34.73°)

Lon:   -98° 28' 39"   (or -98.48°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 5,992 feet to the east<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° 43' 59"   (or 34.73°)

Lon:   -98° 29' 2"   (or -98.48°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 1,933 feet to the west<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. Medicine Park is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Medicine Park is located in Division #7 (the West South-Central Division).

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

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Medicine Park 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 Medicine Park, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Medicine Park. 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 Medicine Park: 73557<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1095292   (Name of Record: Medicine Park)

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: Comanche

Map Name: Mount Scott

Lat: 34.7292358       Lon: -98.5025579  

Elev: 388 ft.

GNIS ID #2412976   (Name of Record: Town of Medicine Park)

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: Comanche

Map Name: Fort Sill

Lat: 34.7286506       Lon: -98.496356  

Elev: 405 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 40/47350   (Place Name: Medicine Park)

County: Comanche     (FIPS State/County: 40/031)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Medicine Park) 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- Comanche County).

GSA Code: 3123

MRF Code: 1603

MSA Code: 4200

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Oklahoma: https://www.ok.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)