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 number 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 Zionsville: 1192025

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 Zionsville:

Place (Community) Code:	87368
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:	42/87368
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
Zionsville:	42/87368		1192025

GPS Location - GNIS Coordinates ...

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

Lat:   40° 28' 47"   (or 40.48°)

Lon:   -75° 30' 18"   (or -75.51°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Zionsville is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

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

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

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

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 community like Zionsville, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Zionsville. 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 Zionsville: 18092<1>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1192025   (Name of Record: Zionsville)

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: Lehigh

Map Name: East Greenville

Lat: 40.4798204       Lon: -75.5051833  

Elev: 188 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 42/87368   (Place Name: Zionsville)

County: Lehigh     (FIPS State/County: 42/077)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Zionsville) that is wholly or substantially located outside the boundaries of any incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) that has an authoritative common name recognized by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

GSA Code: 9674

MSA Code: 240

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

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)