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 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 Maple Valley: 2411028

GNIS ID for King County: 1531933

GNIS ID for Washington: 1779804

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 Maple Valley:

Place (Community) Code:	43150
State Code:	53 (Washington)
County Code:	033 (King 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:	53/43150
State/County Code:	53/033

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 Washington:	53		1779804
King County:	53/033		1531933
Maple Valley:	53/43150		2411028

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

Lat:   47° 22' 1"   (or 47.37°)

Lon:   -122° 2' 17"   (or -122.04°)  

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

Lat:   47° 22' 1"   (or 47.37°)

Lon:   -122° 2' 5"   (or -122.03°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 839 feet to the east<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. Maple Valley is located in Region #4 (the West Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Maple Valley is located in Division #9 (the Pacific Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Maple Valley is located in Region X (Region 10).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Maple Valley is located in Region X (Region 10).

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 city like Maple Valley, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Maple Valley. 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 Maple Valley: 98038<2>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1506457   (Name of Record: Maple Valley)

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: King

Map Name: Maple Valley

Lat: 47.392716       Lon: -122.046409  

Elev: 128 ft.

GNIS ID #2411028   (Name of Record: City of Maple Valley)

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: King

Map Name: Black Diamond

Lat: 47.3670179       Lon: -122.03821  

Elev: 167 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 53/43150   (Place Name: Maple Valley)

County: King     (FIPS State/County: 53/033)

Class: U1

GSA Code: 1264

MRF Code: 738

MSA Code: 7600

FIPS Code: 53/43185   (Place Name: Maplevalley)

County: King     (FIPS State/County: 53/033)

Class: X3

MSA Code: 7600

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Maple Valley: www.ci.maple-valley.wa.us/

The official website for King County: www.metrokc.gov/

The official website for State of Washington: https://access.wa.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)