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 code 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 Terra Alta: 2391442

GNIS ID for Preston County: 1558642

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 Terra Alta:

Place (Community) Code:	79708
State Code:	54 (West Virginia)
County Code:	077 (Preston 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:	54/79708
State/County Code:	54/077

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
Preston County:	54/077		1558642
Terra Alta:	54/79708		2391442

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

Lat:   39° 26' 39"   (or 39.44°)

Lon:   -79° 32' 36"   (or -79.54°)  

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

Lat:   39° 26' 39"   (or 39.44°)

Lon:   -79° 32' 37"   (or -79.54°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 28.21 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:   39° 26' 39"   (or 39.44°)

Lon:   -79° 32' 38"   (or -79.54°)  

The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 101.1 feet to the west<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. Terra Alta is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

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

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

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

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 town like Terra Alta, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Terra Alta. 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 Terra Alta: 26764<3>

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1547983   (Name of Record: Terra Alta)

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: Preston

Map Name: Terra Alta

Lat: 39.445649       Lon: -79.5464388  

Elev: 787 ft.

GNIS ID #2391442   (Name of Record: Town of Terra Alta)

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: Preston

Map Name: Terra Alta

Lat: 39.4442514       Lon: -79.543561  

Elev: 788 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 54/79708   (Place Name: Terra Alta)

County: Preston     (FIPS State/County: 54/077)

Class: C1

Identifies an incorporated place (ie- Terra Alta) 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- Preston County).

GSA Code: 2590

MRF Code: 1555

Off-the-Road Links ...

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Terra Alta. 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)