FIPS 55-3 Class Code Definitions
Class C | Class U | Class D | Class E || Group 2 | Class H | Class T | Class Z
Group 3 | Class G | Class M | Class N || Group 4 | Class A | Class B | Class S ||
Group 5 | Class X
Class C: Incorporated Places
Names appearing in this class are those recognized by the
U.S. Bureau of the Census based on information provided by
State, county, and local governments. Alternate authoritative
common names recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names
are recorded in subclass C4.
C1: Identifies an active incorporated place
that is not also recognized as an Alaska Native Village statistical
area, and does not also serve as a primary county division;
that is, it is included in and is part of a primary county
division. For example, the city of Hammond, Indiana is within
and part of North township; the city of Austin, Texas is
within and part of several census county divisions in several
counties; Hammond and Austin are coded C1.
C2: Identifies an incorporated place that
also serves as a primary county division because, although
the place is coextensive with a minor civil division (MCD),
the Census Bureau, in agreement with State officials, does
not recognize the MCD for presenting census data because
the MCD is a nonfunctioning entity; applies to Iowa and Ohio
only. For example, the city of Dubuque, Iowa is coextensive
with Julien township, which does not function as a governmental
unit and may not be well-known even to local residents; the
city is assigned code C2, and the township, Z8. This subclass
is new for FIPS 55-3. Also see subclass C5.
C3: Identifies a consolidated city; that
is, an incorporated place that has consolidated its governmental
functions with a county or MCD, but continues to include
other incorporated places that are legally part of the consolidated
government. For example, the city of Columbus, Georgia is
consolidated with Muscogee County, which continues to exist
as a nonfunctioning legal entity in the State; however, the
town of Bibb City continues to exist as a separate active
incorporated place within the consolidated government and,
therefore, Columbus is treated as a consolidated city. At
the time of publication, there are seven consolidated cities
in the United States: Athens-Clarke County, Georgia; Butte-Silver
Bow, Montana; Columbus, Georgia; Indiana polis, Indiana;
Jacksonville, Florida; Milford, Connecticut; and Nashville-Davidson,
Tennessee. The subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
C4: Identifies an alternate authoritative
common name of any member of the other subclasses of Class
C. The entity code of the legal name is referenced in the
``Other Name Code'' of the record, and in the entry for the
legal name, the Other Name Code references the alternate.
For example, the entity in California whose legal name is
San Buenaventura (subclass C1) is commonly known as Ventura,
which is coded C4.
C5: Identifies an incorporated place that
also serves as a primary county division; that is, it is
not included in any adjacent primary county division of class
T or Z. For example, Boston, MA, is legally a primary division
of the county and recognized as an incorporated place and,
therefore, is coded C5. Also see subclass C2.
C6: Identifies an incorporated place that
is coincident with or approximates an Alaska Native Village
statistical area. The Other Name Code references the Alaska
Native Village statistical area; see subclass E6.
C7: Identifies an independent city. At
the time of publication, independent cities exist in only
four States: Maryland (Baltimore City), Nevada (Carson City),
Missouri (St Louis City), and Virginia (41 cities). These
cities also serve as county equivalents, and all but Carson
City also serve as primary county divisions.
C8: Identifies the portion of a consolidated
city that is not within another incorporated place; see subclass
C3. The Census Bureau identifies these nonfunctioning entities
by taking the name of the consolidated city and appending
in parentheses the word remainder. For example, Columbus
(remainder) identifies the portion of the Columbus, Georgia
consolidated city that is not also in Bibb City. This subclass
is new for FIPS 55-3.
C9: Identifies an inactive or nonfunctioning
incorporated place.
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Class U: Populated (Community) Places (Except Those
Associated with Facilities)
U1: Identifies a census designated place
(CDP) with a name identical to the authoritative common name
that describes essentially the same population. Also see
subclass M2.
U2: Identifies a CDP with a name not identical
to an authoritative common name of essentially the same area.
If there is an alternate authoritative common name, it is
referenced in the Other Name Code field. For example, Suitland-Silver
Hill, Maryland is the name of a locally delineated CDP recognized
by the Census Bureau which is a combination of two communities—Suitland
and Silver Hill—and, therefore, because it is not the
authoritative name of the area, is coded U2; Sierra Vista
Southeast, Arizona is a CDP that includes the built-up area
adjoining the city of Sierra Vista on the southeast, but
is not an authoritative name for that area and, therefore,
is coded U2. Also see subclass M2.
U3: Identifies (a) an alternate, authoritative
common name of a population essentially described by a specific
CDP with a different name (the Other Name Code references
the CDP), or (b) a community wholly or substantially within
the boundaries of a CDP with a different name (the Part of
Code references the CDP). For example, Silver Hill and Suitland
are coded U3 and cross-referenced to the CDP of Suitland-Silver
Hill (see subclass U2).
U4: Identifies a populated place wholly
or substantially within the boundaries of an incorporated
place with a different name; the Part of Code identifies
the incorporated place. For example, Harlem and Greenwich
Village, which are part of New York city, and Hollywood,
which is part of Los Angeles, California, are coded U4.
U5: Dropped. Only one place—the CDP
of Arlington, Virginia—was in this subclass in FIPS
PUB 95-2; it has been recoded as U1 as a place and as Z3
as a subclass in FIPS 55-3 as a county subdivision.
U6: Identifies a populated place located
wholly or substantially outside the boundaries of any incorporated
place or CDP with an authoritative common name recognized
by the U.S. Geological Survey.
U8: Identifies a populated place located
wholly or substantially outside the boundaries of an incorporated
place or CDP but whose name has not been verified as authoritative
by the U.S. Geological Survey.
U9: Identifies a CDP that is coincident
with or approximates the area of an Alaska Native Village
statistical area. The Other Name Code references the Alaska
Native Village statistical area; see subclass E2. This subclass
is new for FIPS 55-3.
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Class D: American Indian Areas
D1: Identifies a federally recognized American
Indian reservation and its associated trust land that does
not also serve as a primary county division.
D2: Identifies a federally recognized American
Indian reservation that exists in a single county and also
serves as a primary county division (applies only in Maine
and New York). This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
D3: Identifies a federally recognized American
Indian tribal government that holds off-reservation property
in trust—trust land—for a tribe or individual
member(s) of a tribe, and the trust land is not associated
with a specific American Indian reservation. This subclass
is new for FIPS 55-3.
D4: Identifies a State-recognized American
Indian reservation that does not also serve as a primary
county division.
D5: Identifies a State-recognized American
Indian reservation that exists in a single county and also
serves as a primary county division (applies only to New
York).
D6: Identifies a statistical entity delineated
for the Census Bureau to delimit an area containing the American
Indian population over which a federally or State-recognized
American Indian tribe not having a recognized reservation
has jurisdiction (tribal jurisdiction statistical area—TJSA—in
Oklahoma) and/or provides benefits and services to its members
(tribal designated statistical area—TDSA—in other
States). This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
D7: Identifies an administrative division
of an American Indian tribal government. For example, the
chapters of the Navajo Nation. This subclass is new for FIPS
55-3.
D8: Identifies an alternate authoritative
common name of any member of the other subclasses of Class
D. The place code of the legal name is referenced in the
``Other Name Code'' of the record, and in the entry for the
legal name, the ``Other Name Code'' references the alternate.
This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
D9: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The entity represented by this subclass—the Oklahoma
Historic Reservation Area, which was allocated to 63 counties—has
been deleted and replaced by the TJSAs identified as part
of subclass D6.
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Class E: Alaska Native Areas
Alaska Native Villages (ANVs) are legal entities that may
not have legally established boundaries. The Census Bureau,
in cooperation with Alaska Native officials, has delineated
boundaries that identify the settled portion of most Alaska
Native Village tribal communities them from the legal entities
they represent, these statistical entities are referred to
as Alaska Native Village statistical areas (ANVSAs). The
FIPS entity code scheme assigns a single code to represent
both the legal ANV and ANVSA which designations appear in
parentheses after the legal entity name. Alaska Native Regional
Corporations (ANRCs) are legal entities with boundaries determined
in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to conduct the
business and nonprofit affairs of Alaska Natives and their
communities.
E1: Identifies an ANV/ANVSA where the ANVSA
boundaries do not coincide with or approximate an incorporated
place or a CDP.
E2: Identifies an ANV/ANVSA where the ANVSA
boundaries coincide with or approximate a CDP. The Other
Name Code identifies the CDP; see subclass U9.
E6: Identifies an ANV/ANVSA where the ANVSA
boundaries coincide with or approximate an incorporated place.
The Other Name Code identifies the incorporated place; see
subclass C6.
E7: Identifies an ANRC, an area established
by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; twelve ANRCs
cover all of the State of Alaska except the Annette Islands
Reserve, an American Indian reservation—a thirteenth
ANRC is for Alaska Natives residing outside of Alaska and
this ANRC is not included in FIPS 55. This subclass is new
for FIPS 55-3.
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Group 2: Counties, and County Equivalents Primary County Divisions,
American Indian Areas, and Alaska Native
Areas
Class H: Counties and County Equivalents
Class H includes all the primary divisions of a state or
state equivalent usually called counties, but also includes
borough and census areas in Alaska, parishes in Louisiana,
municipios in Puerto Rico, and districts, islands, and municipalities
in the Outlying Areas. The class does not include independent
cities which are classified as class C7.
H1: Identifies an active county or county
equivalent that does not qualify under subclass C7 or H6.
H4: Identifies an inactive or nonfunctioning
county or county equivalent that does not qualify under subclass
H6.
H5: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3
. The 17 entities recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2,
which identified inactive or nonfunctioning counties or county
equivalents coextensive with a single primary county division,
have been reassigned to code subclass H4 or H6, as appropriate.
H6: Identifies a county or county equivalent
that is areally coextensive or governmentally consolidated
with an incorporated place, part of an incorporated place
(applies only to New York City), or a consolidated city (see
subclass C3). The Other Name Code of the record references
the name of the incorporated place or consolidated city.
(The incorporated place serves as the active governmental
unit.)
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Class T: Active Minor Civil Divisions
T1: Identifies an active minor civil division
(MCD) that is not coextensive with an incorporated place.
T2: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The entities in this subclass in FIPS 55-2, which identified
active MCDs coextensive with a census designated place (CDP),
have been assigned to subclass T1.
T3: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The entities in this subclass in FIPS 55-2, which identified
active MCDs not coextensive with a CDP or incorporated place
but including a populated place of the same name, have been
assigned to subclass T1.
T5: Identifies an active MCD that is coextensive
with an incorporated place. (The incorporated place usually
has the same name as the MCD, and usually the officials of
the incorporated place administer the governmental functions
of the MCD.)
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Class Z: Inactive or Nonfunctioning Primary County Divisions
Z1: Identifies an inactive or nonfunctioning
minor civil division (MCD) recognized as a primary county
division by the Census Bureau, such as the townships in Arkansas
and North Carolina and the magisterial districts in Virginia
and West Virginia.
Z2: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 27 entities recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2, which
identified unorganized territories (unorgs.) that were coextensive
with a single disorganized MCD or member of subclass Z4,
have been assigned to subclass Z3.
Z3: Identifies a unorg. established as
an MCD equivalent by the Census Bureau. Some unorgs. may
be coextensive with one or more disorganized MCDs and/or
members of subclass Z4, or may include (but not be coextensive
with) one or more such members. Subclass Z3 also identifies
a primary county division that duplicates the county entry
(applies only to Arlington County, Virginia).
Z4: Identifies a nonfunctioning or disorganized
township or similar entity not recognized as an MCD by the
Census Bureau; must be either coextensive with or included
in an unorg., such as the survey townships in Maine (numbered
in the 90000 series). If coextensive, the Other Name Code
identifies a member of subclass Z3; if included, the Part
of Code identifies a member of subclass Z3.
Z5: Identifies a census county division
(in 21 States), census subarea (Alaska), or census subdistrict
(Virgin Islands of the United States).
Z6: Identifies a sub-MCD in Puerto Rico
(subbarrio) and the Federated States of Micronesia (a municipal
district). This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
Z7: Identifies an independent incorporated
place that serves as a primary county division in Iowa, North
Carolina, and in counties containing only nonfunctioning
MCDs in Nebraska. These entities are coded as places, but
also as nonfunctioning primary county divisions numbered
in the 90000 series in order to maintain their alphabetic
sequence within the nonfunctioning MCD's in these States.
This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3. Also see subclass C5.
Z8: Identifies a legally existing MCD that
is coextensive with an incorporated place but not recognized
by the Census Bureau (applies only in Iowa and Ohio); see
subclass C2. This subclass is new for FIPS 55-3.
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Group 3: Facilities, Except Communications and Transportation
Class G: Nongovernment Facilities
This class—comprising subclasses G1 (shopping center
or amusement part), G3 (health care or geriatric care facility),
G4 (an area of natural preservation or significant cultural
and historic significance), G5 (a stockyard, storage facility,
or industrial manufacturing or continuous-processing facility
other than a utility), G6 (a religious or educational facility,
research laboratory, or testing facility), G7 (an energy
generation facility or other utility), G8 (an executive or
administrative facility), and G9 (any other type of nongovernment
facility, not elsewhere classified)has been dropped from
FIPS 55-3 and the records deleted because no source was available
to make the information complete or keep it current.
Class M: Federal Facilities
M1: Identifies an installation of the U.S. Department of
Defense or of any branch thereof, or of the U.S. Coast Guard,
regardless of purpose of function of the installation; does
not identify an installation or part thereof that qualifies
under subclass M2 or A1.
M2: Identifies an installation (or part
of an installation) that qualifies under subclass M1 and
has been reported by the Census Bureau as a CDP.
M3: Identifies an installation of the U.S.
Veterans Administration or other non-Defense Department health
care, hospital, rehabilitation, or geriatric care facility.
M4: Identifies a unit of the national park
system (including areas known by other designations such
as National Monuments, National Historic Sites, and so forth)
managed by the National Park Service.
M5: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The three Federal correctional facilities recorded in this
subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been assigned to subclass M9.
M6: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 13 non-Defense Department, non-Coast Guard educational
and training facilities, research laboratories, or testing
stations, or launch, monitoring, or control installations
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration recorded
in FIPS 55-2 in this subclass have been assigned to subclass
M9.
M7: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The one energy generation or fuel production facility recorded
in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 has been deleted because the
information is neither complete nor current.
M8: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The two executive, legislative, judicial, or administrative
offices recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been
deleted because the information is neither complete nor current.
M9: Identifies a Federal facility not elsewhere
classified.
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Class N: State, Local, and International Government
Facilities
N1: Identifies a National Guard or other
public safety facility not qualifying under subclass A1.
N3: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 23 health care, geriatric care, or veterans facilities
recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been deleted
because the information is neither complete nor current.
N4: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 10 State parks and significant cultural or historic sites
recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been deleted
because the information is neither complete nor current.
N5: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 48 State and local correctional facilities recorded in
this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been assigned to code N9.
N6: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The 42 educational facilities, research laboratories, and
testing stations recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have
been deleted because the information is neither complete
nor current.
N7: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The eight energy generation facilities and other utilities
recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been deleted
because the information is neither complete nor current.
N8: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The four executive, legislative, judicial, and administrative
facilities recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been
deleted because the information is neither complete nor current.
N9: Identifies any other State, local,
or international government installation not elsewhere classified.
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Group 4: Communications and Transportation Facilities
Class A: Airports
A1: Identifies an airport that receives
regularly scheduled commercial flights and also serves as
a military or Coast Guard installation.
A2: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
This subclass—an airport that receives regularly scheduled
commercial flights, serves as a military or U.S. Coast Guard
installation, and is a CDP—category is obsolete, and
the three airports recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2,
have been assigned to subclass A1 or M2, as appropriate.
A3: Identifies an airport that receives
regularly scheduled commercial flights and does not serve
as a military or Coast Guard installation.
A4: Identifies an airport that does not
receive regularly scheduled commercial flights and does not
serve as a military or Coast Guard installation.
A5:Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
This subclass—an airport not meeting Federal Aviation
Administration safety regulation FAR 139 and not serving
as a U.S. military or Coast Guard installation—is obsolete,
and the 15 airports recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2
have been assigned to subclass A3 or A4, as appropriate.
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Class B: Post Offices Not Corresponding to Other
Locational Entities
Post office names identified in this class are only those
that do not identify entities included in another class;
for example, Franklin D. Roosevelt is a postal station in
New York city. The entity may be cross-referenced to the
place in which it is located in the Part of Code field. There
are no subclasses.
Class S: Surface Transportation Facilities
This class—comprising facilities such as stations,
depots, docks, loading and unloading points, switching points,
spurs, sidings, junctions, and yards—has been dropped
as a class in FIPS 55-3 because the information is neither
complete nor current. The two entities recorded in the class
in FIPS 55-2 have been deleted. There were no subclasses.
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Group 5: Obsolete or Incorrect Names
Class X: Obsolete or Incorrect Names or Entities
The code of a correct replacement, if any, is given in the
Other Name Code and Part of Code fields; the incorrect or
obsolete name may be referenced in same cases from the Other
Name Code of the replacement.
X: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The entities recorded in FIPS 55-2 as X with no subclass—no
information available—have been assigned to a redefined
subclass X3.
X1: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
There were no entities in this subclass identifying entities
abolished and not absorbed by another entity recorded in
FIPS 55-2.
X2: Identifies entities whose names have
been changed and are not appropriate in any other subclass;
the new name is referenced by the Other Name Code.
X3: Identifies entities whose names are
incorrect or less preferred, and are not appropriate in any
other (sub)class, or entities for which more specific information
that would permit assignment to an appropriate (sub)class
is not available; the correct or preferred name, where known,
is referenced by the Other Name Code.
X4: Identifies entities absorbed by one
or more surviving entities; if one surviving entity, it is
referenced by the Other Name Code; if two surviving entities,
they are referenced by the Part of Code and the Other Name
Code, if more than two surviving entities the Part of Code
and Other Name Code reference the surviving entities with
the two largest proportions of the original entity.
X5: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
The four entities recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2,
which identified entities absorbed by more than one surviving
entity, have been assigned to a redefined subclass X4.
X6: Dropped as a subclass in FIPS 55-3.
This subclass, identifying entities that may continue to
exist but dropped as not pertinent, is not appropriate; the
entities recorded in this subclass in FIPS 55-2 have been
assigned to subclass X3.
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