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 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 Fairfield: 2412611

GNIS ID for Utah County: 1448038

GNIS ID for Utah: 1455989

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 Fairfield:

Place (Community) Code:	24410
State Code:	49 (Utah)
County Code:	049 (Utah 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:	49/24410
State/County Code:	49/049

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 Utah:	49		1455989
Utah County:	49/049		1448038
Fairfield:	49/24410		2412611

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

Lat:   40° 14' 51"   (or 40.25°)

Lon:   -112° 5' 4"   (or -112.08°)  

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

Lat:   40° 14' 18"   (or 40.24°)

Lon:   -112° 4' 58"   (or -112.08°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 3,371 feet to the south<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above).

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Fairfield is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Fairfield is located in Division #8 (the Mountain Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Fairfield is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Fairfield is located in Region VIII (Region 8).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1427871   (Name of Record: Fairfield)

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: Utah

Map Name: Cedar Fort

Lat: 40.2621714       Lon: -112.0929961  

Elev: 1487 ft.

GNIS ID #2412611   (Name of Record: Town of Fairfield)

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: Utah

Map Name: Goshen Pass

Lat: 40.2475991       Lon: -112.08462  

Elev: 1485 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 49/24410   (Place Name: Fairfield)

County: Utah     (FIPS State/County: 49/049)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Fairfield) 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: 445

MSA Code: 6520

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for Utah County: www.co.utah.ut.us/

The official website for State of Utah: https://www.utah.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)