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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 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 Harrisburg: 1215162

GNIS ID for Dauphin County: 1213667

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 Harrisburg:

Place (Community) Code:  32800
State Code:  42 (Pennsylvania)
County Code:  043 (Dauphin 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:  42/32800
State/County Code:  42/043

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
Dauphin County:    42/043   1213667
Harrisburg:    42/32800   1215162

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

Lat:   40° 16' 11"   (or 40.27°)

Lon:   -76° 52' 24"   (or -76.87°)  

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

Lat:   40° 16' 33"   (or 40.28°)

Lon:   -76° 53' 6"   (or -76.89°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 3,877 feet to the northwest<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° 16' 11"   (or 40.27°)

Lon:   -76° 52' 32"   (or -76.88°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 3,434 feet to the southeast<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. Harrisburg is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

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

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Harrisburg is located in Region III (Region 3).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Harrisburg is located in Region III (Region 3).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1213649   (Name of Record: Harrisburg)

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: Dauphin

Map Name: Harrisburg West

Lat: 40.2737002       Lon: -76.8844179  

Elev: 102 ft.


GNIS ID #1215162   (Name of Record: City of Harrisburg)

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: Dauphin

Map Name: Harrisburg East

Lat: 40.2698114       Lon: -76.8735843  

Elev: 104 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 42/32800   (Place Name: Harrisburg)

County: Dauphin     (FIPS State/County: 42/043)

Class: C5

GSA Code: 3500

MRF Code: 4920

MSA Code: 3240

The official website for Harrisburg: www.harrisburgcity.com/

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)

Footnotes ...

<1>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS-supplied location is 55 degrees and a distance of 3,877 feet.
<2>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2000 Census location is 229 degrees and a distance of 3,434 feet.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 19 Sep 2024