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 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 Jamestown: 1220061

GNIS ID for Newport County: 1219779

GNIS ID for Rhode Island: 1219835

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 Jamestown:

Place (Community) Code:	36820
State Code:	44 (Rhode Island)
County Code:	005 (Newport 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:	44/36820
State/County Code:	44/005

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 Rhode Island:	44		1219835
Newport County:	44/005		1219779
Jamestown:	44/36820		1220061

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

Lat:   41° 32' 15"   (or 41.54°)

Lon:   -71° 22' 33"   (or -71.38°)  

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

Lat:   41° 31' 11"   (or 41.52°)

Lon:   -71° 22' 15"   (or -71.37°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 6,646 feet to the south<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:   41° 31' 13"   (or 41.52°)

Lon:   -71° 22' 18"   (or -71.37°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 290.9 feet to the northwest<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. Jamestown is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Jamestown is located in Division #1 (the New England Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Jamestown is located in Region I (Region 1).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Jamestown is located in Region I (Region 1).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1220061   (Name of Record: Town of Jamestown)

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: Newport

Map Name: Wickford

Lat: 41.5376018       Lon: -71.3758871  

Elev: 51 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 44/36820   (Place Name: Jamestown (Town of))

County: Newport     (FIPS State/County: 44/005)

Class: T1

MSA Code: 6480

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for State of Rhode Island: https://www.ri.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)