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The Commemorative Quarter for West Virginia







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 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 Ballard: 1550160

GNIS ID for Monroe County: 1557702

GNIS ID for West Virginia: 1779805

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 Ballard:

Place (Community) Code:  04060
State Code:  54 (West Virginia)
County Code:  063 (Monroe 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:  54/04060
State/County Code:  54/063

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 West Virginia:    54   1779805
Monroe County:    54/063   1557702
Ballard:    54/04060   1550160

GPS Location - GNIS Coordinates ...

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

Lat:   37° 28' 29"   (or 37.47°)

Lon:   -80° 46' 45"   (or -80.78°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Ballard is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Ballard is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Ballard is located in Region III (Region 3).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Ballard is located in Region III (Region 3).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1550160   (Name of Record: Ballard)

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: Monroe

Map Name: Peterstown

Lat: 37.4748438       Lon: -80.7792439  

Elev: 646 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 54/04060   (Place Name: Ballard)

County: Monroe     (FIPS State/County: 54/063)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Ballard) 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: 131

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

The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.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)










 

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This page was last modified/updated: 10 Mar 2024