# Presentation: 774643

## FIPS to ANSI Transition

- Michael Ratcliffe
- Geographic Standards and Criteria Branch
- Geography Division
- U.S. Census Bureau
- 301-763-8977
- _[michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov](mailto:michael.r.ratcliffe@census.gov)_

## FIPS to ANSI Transition

- Geographic entity types discussed in this presentation (with former FIPS series):
- States and equivalent entities (FIPS 5-2)
- Counties and equivalent entities (FIPS 6-4)
- Congressional districts (FIPS 9-1)
- Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and related statistical areas (FIPS 8-6)
- Places and county subdivisions (FIPS 55-3)

## FIPS to ANSI Transition

- Code standards with oversight changes only:
- States and equivalents
- Counties and equivalents
- Congressional Districts

## Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and related statistical entities

- Code structure adopted in 2003 was not under FIPS oversight
- _Geographic Entity_			_Length_		_Range_
- Metropolitan Statistical Areas	5 digits		10000-59999
- Micropolitan Statistical Areas	5 digits		10000-59999
- Metropolitan Divisions		5 digits		10004-59994*
- New England City and Town Areas 	5 digits		70000-79999
- NECTA Divisions			5 digits		70004-79994*
- Combined Statistical Areas	3 digits		100-599
- Combined NECTAs		3 digits		700-799
- *Metropolitan divisions and NECTA divisions are distinguished from metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas and NECTAs by codes that end in “4.”

## Place and County Subdivisions

- USGS was the maintenance agency for FIPS 55-3.
- Decision to adopt Geographic Names Information System ID as standard code, effective January 1, 2006
- GNIS ID is a variable length, permanent, numeric identifier, up to 10 digits (though none are longer than 8 digits)

## GNIS ID examples

- Alexandria, VA	                1498415
- Baltimore, MD	                1702381
- Seattle, WA	                2411856
- Tacoma, WA	                2412025
- Takoma Park, MD	        2390660
- Washington, DC	        1702382

## What will the Census Bureau do?

- We will include GNIS IDs in the MAF/TIGER database for the following entities:
- States and equivalent areas*
- Counties and equivalent areas*
- County subdivisions
- Sub-minor civil divisions (Puerto Rico only) Consolidated cities
- Incorporated places and census designated places
- American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian areas
- Alaska Native Regional Corporations
- American Indian tribal subdivisions
- *Supplemental codes only; the GNIS ID does not supplant the standard 2-digit state code and 3-digit county code.

## What will the Census Bureau do?

- We are committed to maintaining, and issuing new, 5-digit place and county subdivision codes through at least 2012.
- Because “FIPS” is a well-known and recognized acronym, we will retain it, but restyle it as “Federal Information Processing Series”

## What will the Census Bureau do?

- We will include the GNIS ID (as fixed length character data) in products containing geographic information, along with the 5-digit place and county subdivision codes.
- STATEFP	............................24
- STATENS	..............01714934
- COUNTYFP	......................031
- COUNTYNS	..............01712500
- COUSUBNS	................01929469
- COUSUBFP	......................91160
- PLACENS	..............02390660
- PLACEFP	..................76650
- Name	...................Takoma Park

## Questions?	

- Contact:
- Geographic Standards and Criteria Branch
- Geography Division
- 301-763-3056