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 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 Eau Claire: 1583124

GNIS ID for Eau Claire County: 1581077

GNIS ID for Wisconsin: 1779806

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 Eau Claire:

Place (Community) Code:	22300
State Code:	55 (Wisconsin)
County Code:	035 (Eau Claire 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:	55/22300
State/County Code:	55/035

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 Wisconsin:	55		1779806
Eau Claire County:	55/035		1581077
Eau Claire:	55/22300		1583124

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

Lat:   44° 48' 50"   (or 44.81°)

Lon:   -91° 29' 47"   (or -91.5°)  

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

Lat:   44° 49' 16"   (or 44.82°)

Lon:   -91° 29' 41"   (or -91.49°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 2,654 feet to the north<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:   44° 48' 52"   (or 44.81°)

Lon:   -91° 29' 33"   (or -91.49°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 2,499 feet to the south<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. Eau Claire is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Eau Claire is located in Division #3 (the East North-Central Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Eau Claire is located in Region V (Region 5).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Eau Claire is located in Region V (Region 5).

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 Eau Claire, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Eau Claire. 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 Eau Claire: 54701-54703<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1564402   (Name of Record: Eau Claire)

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: Eau Claire

Map Name: Eau Claire East

Lat: 44.811349       Lon: -91.4984941  

Elev: 240 ft.

GNIS ID #1583124   (Name of Record: City of Eau Claire)

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: Eau Claire

Map Name: Eau Claire East

Lat: 44.8141268       Lon: -91.4965497  

Elev: 235 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 55/22300   (Place Name: Eau Claire)

County: Chippewa     (FIPS State/County: 55/017      Count/Seq: 02/01)

Class: C5

GSA Code: 1470

MRF Code: 770

MSA Code: 2290

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Eau Claire: www.ci.eau-claire.wi.us/

The official website for Eau Claire County: www.co.eau-claire.wi.us/

The official website for State of Wisconsin: https://www.wisconsin.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)