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Summary for Fossil

About Fossil (Click for our profile page)

Located in: Wheeler County (see below)

Time Zone: Fossil lies in the Pacific Time Zone (PST/PDT)

Telephone Area Codes: 541 & 458<1>

ZIP Code: 97830<2>

Elevation: 2,660 feet [810.77 m] above sea level<3>

From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Fossil)

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:<4>	443 (6.34% decrease since 2010)
2010:	473 (0.85% increase since 2000)
2000:	469

Total Area:<5> 0.79 sq. miles [2 km²]

Housing Units:<6> 265

Official Website: www.cityoffossil.org/

GPS Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude)<7>

For the purpose of mapping and calculating distances, we have chosen the following reference point for Fossil:

Lat: 44.999900° (or 44°59'59" N)

Lon: -120.213700° (or -120°12'49" W)

USGS Topo Map: Fossil South<8>

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Fossil

GNIS ID: 2410533

FIPS State / Place Code: 41 / 26650

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Fossil)

About Wheeler County

The city of Fossil is the County Seat for {Wheeler County}.

From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Wheeler)

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:	1,332 (7.95% decrease since 2010)
2010	1,447 (6.46% decrease since 2000)
2000:	1,547

Total Area: 1,715 sq. miles [4,442.4 km²]

Housing Units: 895

Official Website: https://www.wheelercountyoregon.com/

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Wheeler

GNIS ID: 1135865

FIPS State / County Code: 41 / 069

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Fossil)

About Oregon

From the US Census

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:	4,216,116 (10.05% increase since 2010)
2010:	3,831,074 (11.97% increase since 2000)
2000:	3,421,399

Websites for State of Oregon

Official Website: https://www.oregon.gov/

Tourism: https://traveloregon.com/

Parks: https://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/

Fishing: https://myodfw.com/fishing

Hunting: https://myodfw.com/big-game-hunting

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for State of Oregon

GNIS ID: 1155107

FIPS State: 41

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Fossil)

Footnotes ...

<1>	When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 541 code has been Overlayed with the 458 area code. New phone numbers in the Fossil area will be assigned with one of these codes: 541 or 458. As a result, placing a call in the Fossil area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number).
<2>	ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a city (such as Fossil). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Fossil or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
<3>	The elevation is an estimate for the area around Fossil - it will be higher in some places and lower in others.
<4>	Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019.
<5>	The area value has been supplied by the US Census Bureau and it can be different than the geographic boundaries of Fossil. The value given by the Census Bureau reflects their statistical (or sampling) requirements. For example, if there is a cluster of people living just outside of the community's official boundary, the Census-defined area might be expanded to include that group.
<6>	A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway).
<7>	Longitude & latitude values may not be the geographic center of Fossil, rather it may be a prominent intersection or the center of population, etc. It will vary depending on the source.
<8>	Name of the USGS 7.5 Minute topographic map which includes Fossil.