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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 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 identifier 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 South Mountain: 2413308

GNIS ID for Coryell County: 1383835

GNIS ID for Texas: 1779801

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 South Mountain:

Place (Community) Code:  69120
State Code:  48 (Texas)
County Code:  099 (Coryell 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:  48/69120
State/County Code:  48/099

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 Texas:    48   1779801
Coryell County:    48/099   1383835
South Mountain:    48/69120   2413308

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

Lat:   31° 26' 23"   (or 31.44°)

Lon:   -97° 40' 44"   (or -97.68°)  

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

Lat:   31° 26' 23"   (or 31.44°)

Lon:   -97° 40' 45"   (or -97.68°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 48.96 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:   31° 26' 6"   (or 31.44°)

Lon:   -97° 40' 35"   (or -97.68°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 1,928 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. South Mountain is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. South Mountain is located in Division #7 (the West South-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. South Mountain is located in Region VI (Region 6).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. South Mountain is located in Region VI (Region 6).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1368723   (Name of Record: South Mountain)

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: Coryell

Map Name: Gatesville East

Lat: 31.4276653       Lon: -97.6775203  

Elev: 311 ft.


GNIS ID #2413308   (Name of Record: Town of South Mountain)

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: Coryell

Map Name: Gatesville East

Lat: 31.4397244       Lon: -97.679164  

Elev: 316 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 48/69120   (Place Name: South Mountain)

County: Coryell     (FIPS State/County: 48/099)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- South Mountain) that does not serve as a primary county division - or in other words, it is included in and is part of a primary county division (ie- Coryell County).

MRF Code: 4010

MSA Code: 3810

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

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.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 39 degrees and a distance of 48.96 feet.
<2>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2000 Census location is 205 degrees and a distance of 1,928 feet.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 10 Mar 2024