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 identification 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 Lake Hallie: 2013447

GNIS ID for Chippewa County: 1581068

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 Lake Hallie:

Place (Community) Code:	41525
State Code:	55 (Wisconsin)
County Code:	017 (Chippewa 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:	55/41525
State/County Code:	55/017

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
Chippewa County:	55/017		1581068
Lake Hallie:	55/41525		2013447

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

Lat:   44° 53' 31"   (or 44.89°)

Lon:   -91° 25' 12"   (or -91.42°)  

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

Lat:   44° 53' 30"   (or 44.89°)

Lon:   -91° 25' 13"   (or -91.42°)  

The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 126.5 feet to the southwest<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above).

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Lake Hallie is located in Region #2 (the Midwest Region).

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

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

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

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1567738   (Name of Record: Lake Hallie)

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: Chippewa

Map Name: Chippewa Falls

Lat: 44.8757938       Lon: -91.4407146  

Elev: 272 ft.

GNIS ID #2013447   (Name of Record: Village of Lake Hallie)

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: Chippewa

Map Name: Chippewa Falls

Lat: 44.8920582       Lon: -91.42007  

Elev: 277 ft.

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 55/41525   (Place Name: Lake Hallie)

County: Chippewa     (FIPS State/County: 55/017)

Class: U6

Identifies a populated place (ie- Lake Hallie) 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).

Part-of-Code: 32100

MSA Code: 2290

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for Chippewa County: www.co.chippewa.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)