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 Bethlehem: 1217330
GNIS ID for Lehigh County: 1209182
GNIS ID for Pennsylvania: 1779798
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 Bethlehem:
| Place (Community) Code: | 06088 |
| State Code: | 42 (Pennsylvania) |
| County Code: | 077 (Lehigh 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: | 42/06088 |
| State/County Code: | 42/077 |
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 | |
| Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: | 42 | 1779798 | |
| Lehigh County: | 42/077 | 1209182 | |
| Bethlehem: | 42/06088 | 1217330 |
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 Bethlehem, it is a point within Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem, the GNIS GPS location is given as:
Lat: 40° 38' 5" (or 40.63°)
Lon: -75° 21' 28" (or -75.36°)
Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Bethlehem - 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 Bethlehem, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as:
Lat: 40° 37' 35" (or 40.63°)
Lon: -75° 22' 4" (or -75.37°)
The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 4,115 feet to the southwest<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: 40° 37' 34" (or 40.63°)
Lon: -75° 22' 32" (or -75.38°)
The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 2,152 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. Bethlehem is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).
In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Bethlehem is located in Division #2 (the Middle Atlantic Division).
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Bethlehem is located in Region III (Region 3).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Bethlehem is located in Region III (Region 3).
Referenced GNIS Records ...
GNIS ID #1169425 (Name of Record: Bethlehem)
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: Clearfield
Map Name: Westover
Lat: 40.8617302 Lon: -78.7303073
Elev: 505 ft.
GNIS ID #1169426 (Name of Record: Bethlehem)
Class: populated place
County: Northampton
Map Name: Nazareth
Lat: 40.6259316 Lon: -75.3704579
Elev: 109 ft.
GNIS ID #1217330 (Name of Record: City of Bethlehem)
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: Northampton
Map Name: Nazareth
Lat: 40.6348205 Lon: -75.3579576
Elev: 109 ft.
Referenced FIPS Records ...
FIPS Code: 42/06088 (Place Name: Bethlehem)
County: Lehigh (FIPS State/County: 42/077 Count/Seq: 02/01)
Class: C5
GSA Code: 660
MRF Code: 855
MSA Code: 240
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Bethlehem: www.bethlehem-pa.gov/
The official website for Lehigh County: www.lehighcounty.org/
The official website for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: https://www.pa.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)