20240312 14463000 1.0 TRUE 002 150000000 5000 0c57ebe2-f8e8-4d55-b159-ab3202898956 dataset Montana State Library 406-444-5354 Montana Relay 711 406-444-0266 P.O. Box 201800 Helena Montana 59620-1800 https://msl.mt.gov 1201 11th Ave For GIS assistance please submit a GIS Support Ticket: https://msl.mt.gov/geoinfo/Help/ 20250925 ArcGIS Metadata 1.0 Montana State Library 406-444-5354 Montana Relay 711 406-444-0266 PO Box 201800 Helena MT 59620-1800 https://msl.mt.gov/ 1201 11th Ave For GIS assistance please submit a GIS Support Ticket: https://msl.mt.gov/geoinfo/Help/ ESRI Shapefile ESRI File Geodatabase http://ftp.geoinfo.msl.mt.gov/Data/Spatial/MSDI/GeographicNames/ Enterprise Geodatabase Feature Class Montana Geographic Names Framework Montana State Library PO Box 201800 Helena MT 59620 https://msl.mt.gov/ US 1201 11th Ave 406-444-3115 406-444-0266 Montana Relay 711 For GIS assistance please submit a GIS Support Ticket: https://msl.mt.gov/geoinfo/Help/ Montana State Library U.S. Geological Survey vector digital data 2025-09-25T00:00:00 <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>The Montana Geographic Names Framework (MGNF) holds names and locations for cultural and geographic features in Montana. For most features, this is the Federally recognized name from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This is intended to include the names of all features, current and historical, that are shown on maps, except for roads and highways.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The GNIS is the Federal standard for geographic nomenclature. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the GNIS for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a Federal inter-agency body chartered by public law to maintain uniform feature name usage throughout the Government and to promulgate standard names to the public. The GNIS is the official repository of domestic geographic names data; the official vehicle for geographic names use by all departments of the Federal Government; and the source for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products of all types.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The files available from the State Library include an ESRI feature class with the primary point and State-recognized official name of each feature. The distribution includes two additional tables. One contains the official names and additional alternate names for the features. The other has descriptions and historical information for certain features which the Board on Geographic Names or State Library staff have worked with.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The MGNF was developed from the Montana GNIS text file, the national all_names file, and the national feature description file dated October 1, 2016 that were available on the USGS web site at https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/download-gnis-data. The State Library has performed extensive edits to the data, which are described in the Supplemental Information section of this metadata document.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>Projected in Montana State Plane NAD83(2011).</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV> The Geographic Names Information System was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. Montana State Library 406-444-5354 406-444-4799 406-444-0266 P.O. Box 201800 Helena Montana 59620-1800 geoinfo@mt.gov Montana ISO 19115 Topic Category geoscientificInformation inlandWaters location elevation structure imageryBaseMapsEarthCover environment Montana Spatial Data Infrastructure Montana Geographic Names Framework MGNF place names MSDI geonames GNIS Geographic Names Information System Montana Spatial Data Infrastructure Montana Geographic Names Framework MGNF geoscientificInformation place names MSDI inlandWaters location elevation geonames structure GNIS imageryBaseMapsEarthCover Montana Geographic Names Information System environment The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time. <DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P><SPAN>While this data set is useful for locating features, it is not intended to locate what features are near a location or within a given area. Large features such as streams and national forests are represented here by a single point, and the absence from the Montana Geographic Names Framework of a point for a feature in any area does not mean the feature is not in that area.</SPAN></P><P><SPAN>The Montana State Library provides this product/service for informational purposes only. The Library did not produce it for, nor is it suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Consumers of this information should review or consult the primary data and information sources to ascertain the viability of the information for their purposes. The Library provides these data in good faith but does not represent or warrant its accuracy, adequacy, or completeness. In no event shall the Library be liable for any incorrect results or analysis; any direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages to any party; or any lost profits arising out of or in connection with the use or the inability to use the data or the services provided. The Library makes these data and services available as a convenience to the public, and for no other purpose. The Library reserves the right to change or revise published data and/or services at any time.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV> -116.1 -104 44.25 49.1 Bounding Box Each feature is represented in the Montana Geographic Names Framework (MGNF) feature class by its "primary point". A geographic feature may have only one primary point regardless of size or extent. The primary point of a linear feature depends on the feature class. If feature class equals stream, valley or arroyo, the primary point is the mouth. The primary point of a canal, channel, or trail is the center. The primary point of an areal feature is the approximate geographic center with the following exceptions: The primary point of a populated place is the center of the original place, if known, such as the city or town hall, main post office, or town square regardless of changes over time. The primary point of a reservoir may be the center of the dam that impounds it. The primary point of a summit, range, ridge, or pillar is the highest point. These points do not represent feature boundaries or geometries and should not be confused with them. The GNIS contains over 20,000 un-named wells, mines, and springs that have been deleted from the MGNF. The GNIS contains many features that are partially in Montana, but whose primary coordinates are outside of the state. In the MGNF, the coordinates have been moved to the nearest appropriate location on the state boundary. Before 2005, features in the GNIS were assigned elevations if the GNIS staff noted an elevation printed on a topographic map. The current GNIS from USGS has an elevation for every feature, estimated from the National Elevation Dataset. In the MGNF, the estimated elevations have been replaced by the old map-based GNIS elevations where they were available. Additionally, many elevations, especially of mountain peaks, have been replaced by the elevations printed on 1:24,000 scale topographic maps. The MGNF has many corrections in the names, feature classes, and locations of features that have been noted at the State Library. The MGNF features contain a value in the Change_Log field that indicate what sorts of edits have been performed on them. The State Library and Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) cooperated in 2012 to synchronize the GNIS with FWP's property database, which includes state parks, wildlife management areas, and fishing access sites. Scores of FWP properties which were not in the GNIS have been added to this data set, and the GNIS_ID field has been arbitrarily assigned values less than zero. Esri ArcGIS 13.3.0.52636 Publication Date 2025-09-25T00:00:00 The Montana Geographic Names Framework (MGNF) holds names and locations for cultural and geographic features in Montana. This is a source used by the State Library to edit elevations and locations of features. 1:24,000 Scale Topographic Map Images 1998-01-01 Montana State Library Helena, MT U.S. Geological Survey https://msl.mt.gov/geoinfo/data/DRG/ publication date 1950-01-01 1998-01-01 The data set is an edited version of this source. Geographic Names Information System U.S. Geological Survey Reston, VA U.S. Geological Survey https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/download-gnis-data 2016-10-01T00:00:00 This is a source used by the State Library to determine locations of features. Montana 2013 Air Photos 2013-01-01 National Agricultural Imagery Program, US Dept of Agriculture map https://msl.mt.gov/geoinfo/data/Aerial_Photos/ ground condition 2013-01-01T00:00:00 Download the GNIS text files from the U.S. Geological Survey. Load the data into a database and execute procedures to compare the data to the previous version of the GNIS that the Montana Geographic Names Framework is based on. 2016-10-17T00:00:00 Examine the changes USGS made to the GNIS since the last update and apply them to the Montana Geographic Names Framework as necessary. 2016-11-02T00:00:00 The Montana derogatory Sq___ Names were updated in accordance with MCA 2-15-149 (https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0020/chapter_0150/part_0010/section_0490/0020-0150-0010-0490.html) and the federal names were renamed in accordance with process outlined in Secretary's Order 3404, which included the BGN approving all recommended name changes (https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-secretarys-order-3404-and-doi-derogatory-geographic-names-task-force). Projected in Montana State Plane NAD83(2011). 2024-07-19T00:00:00 Updated Grass Lake (772072) and Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge (772073) 2025-09-25T00:00:00 52176 EPSG 8.2.10(10.3.1) MT_Names These are the attributes of the points in the feature class. Feature Class 52176 Longitude Longitude of the feature's primary point. If the feature is a stream, this is usually the coordinate of the mouth of the stream. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 in the ones column, this feature was moved from outside of Montana to the state boundary. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the feature was edited by the State Library. Longitude Double 8 38 8 County County that the primary GNIS location of the feature is in. This is the value recorded in the national GNIS file. It may be incorrect if the State Library has moved the primary point. County String 24 0 0 Latitude Latitude of the feature's primary point. If the feature is a stream, this is usually the coordinate of the mouth of the stream. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 in the ones column, this feature was moved from outside of Montana to the state boundary. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 1 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the feature was edited by the State Library. Latitude Double 8 38 8 Class The GNIS has 66 types that a feature may be classified as. 58 of these classes occur in this file for Montana. If a feature has a 1 in the hundreds column of the Change_Log field, the feature has been reclassified at the State Library. Gap low point or opening between hills or mountains or in a ridge or mountain range (col, notch, pass, saddle, water gap, wind gap) Glacier body or stream of ice moving outward and downslope from an area of accumulation; an area of relatively permanent snow or ice on the top or side of a mountain or mountainous area (icefield, ice patch, snow patch) Lake natural body of inland water (backwater, lac, lagoon, laguna, pond, pool, resaca, waterhole) Bar natural accumulation of sand, gravel, or alluvium forming an underwater or exposed embankment (ledge, reef, sandbar, shoal, spit) Arroyo watercourse or channel through which water may occasionally flow (coulee, draw, gully, wash) Building a manmade structure with walls and a roof for protection of people and (or) materials, but not including church, hospital, or school Hospital building where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (infirmary) Harbor sheltered area of water where ships or other watercraft can anchor or dock (hono, port, roads, roadstead) Island area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low wetland (archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, rock) Civil political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, municipio, parish, town, township) Basin natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land (amphitheater, cirque, pit, sink) Tunnel linear underground passageway open at both ends Gut relatively small coastal waterway connecting larger bodies of water or other waterways (creek, inlet, slough) Crossing a place where two or more routes of transportation form a junction or intersection (overpass, underpass) Falls perpendicular or very steep fall of water in the course of a stream (cascade, cataract, waterfall) Canal manmade waterway used by watercraft or for drainage, irrigation, mining, or water power (ditch, lateral) Area any one of several areally extensive natural features not included in other categories (badlands, barren, delta, fan, garden) Summit prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the Earth's surface; does not include pillars, ridges, or ranges (ahu, berg, bald, butte, cerro, colina, cone, cumbre, dome, head, hill, horn, knob, knoll, mauna, mesa, mesita, mound, mount, mountain, peak, puu, rock, sugarloaf, table, volcano) Levee natural or manmade embankment flanking a stream (bank, berm) Arch natural arch-like opening in a rock mass (bridge, natural bridge, sea arch) Rapids fast-flowing section of a stream, often shallow and with exposed rock or boulders (riffle, ripple) School building or group of buildings used as an institution for study, teaching, and learning (academy, college, high school, university) Valley linear depression in the Earth's surface that generally slopes from one end to the other (barranca, canyon, chasm, cove, draw, glen, gorge, gulch, gulf, hollow, ravine) Range chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) Flat relative level area within a region of greater relief (clearing, glade, playa) Stream linear body of water flowing on the Earth's surface (anabranch, awawa, bayou, branch, brook, creek, distributary, fork, kill, pup, rio, river, run, slough) Bay indentation of a coastline or shoreline enclosing a part of a body of water; a body of water partly surrounded by land (arm, bight, cove, estuary, gulf, inlet, sound) Post Office an official facility of the U.S. Postal Service used for processing and distributing mail and other postal material Channel linear deep part of a body of water through which the main volume of water flows and is frequently used as aroute for watercraft (passage, reach, strait, thoroughfare, throughfare) Dam water barrier or embankment built across the course of a stream or into a body of water to control and (or) impound the flow of water (breakwater, dike, jetty) Well manmade shaft or hole in the Earth's surface used to obtain fluid or gaseous materials Swamp poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy, possibly covered with open water (bog, cienega, marais, marsh, pocosin) Trail route for passage from one point to another; does not include roads or highways (jeep trail, path, ski trail) Tower a manmade structure, higher than its diameter, generally used for observation, storage, or electronic transmission Populated Place place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village Spring place where underground water flows naturally to the surface of the Earth (seep) Ridge elevation with a narrow, elongated crest which can be part of a hill or mountain (crest, cuesta, escarpment, hogback, lae, rim, spur) Airport manmade facility maintained for the use of aircraft (airfield, airstrip, landing field, landing strip) Beach the sloping shore along a body of water that is washed by waves or tides and is usually covered by sand or gravel (coast, shore, strand) Slope a gently inclined part of the Earth's surface (grade, pitch) Reserve a tract of land set aside for a specific use (does not include forests, civil divisions, parks) Forest bounded area of woods, forest, or grassland under the administration of a political agency (see "woods") (national forest, national grasslands, State forest) Reservoir artificially impounded body of water (lake, tank) Mine place or area from which commercial minerals are or were removed from the Earth; not including oilfield (pit, quarry, shaft) Oilfield area where petroleum is or was removed from the Earth Pillar vertical, standing, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation (chimney, monument, pinnacle, pohaku, rock tower) Park place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural or natural resource and under some form of government administration; not including National or State forests or Reserves (national historical landmark, national park, State park, wilderness area) Military place or facility used for various aspects of or relating to military activity Locale place at which there is or was human activity; it does not include populated places, mines, and dams (battlefield, crossroad, camp, farm, ghost town, landing, railroad siding, ranch, ruins, site, station, windmill) Crater circular-shaped depression at the summit of a volcanic cone or one on the surface of the land caused by the impact of a meteorite; a manmade depression caused by an explosion (caldera, lua) Plain a region of general uniform slope, comparatively level and of considerable extent (grassland, highland, kula, plateau, upland) Bend curve in the course of a stream and (or) the land within the curve; a curve in a linear body of water (bottom, loop, meander) Cemetery a place or area for burying the dead (burial, burying ground, grave, memorial garden) Cape projection of land extending into a body of water (lea, neck, peninsula, point) Bridge manmade structure carrying a trail, road, or other transportation system across a body of water or depression (causeway, overpass, trestle) Bench area of relatively level land on the flank of an elevation such as a hill, ridge, or mountain where the slope of the land rises on one side and descends on the opposite side Church building used for religious worship (chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, temple) Cliff very steep or vertical slope (bluff, crag, head, headland, nose, palisades, precipice, promontory, rim, rimrock) Census A statistical area delineated locally specifically for the tabulation of Census Bureau data (census designated place, census county division, unorganized territory, various types of American Indian/Alaska Native statistical areas). Distinct from Civil and Populated Place. Class String 24 0 0 Shape Feature geometry SHAPE Geometry 8 0 0 Esri Coordinates defining the features. State_X Montana State Plane X-Coordinate, in meters, of the feature's primary point. State_X Integer 4 10 0 State_Y Montana State Plane Y-Coordinate, in meters, of the feature's primary point. State_Y Integer 4 10 0 Map_Name Name of the 1:24,000 scale topographic map that the GNIS location of the feature is in. This is the value recorded in the national GNIS file. It may be incorrect if the State Library has moved the primary point. Map_Name String 20 0 0 Change_Log This indicates edits performed on the feature by the State Library. Different types of edits are indicated by the existence of numbers in various columns of the decimal value. 100000 Feature was added to the Montana file by the State Library. 100 Feature's Class was changed. 30 Feature and its source coordinate were moved from incorrect locations. 2000 Feature elevation was estimated from a 1:24,000 scale topographic map. 1000 Feature elevation was copied from a 1:24,000 scale topographic map. 4000 Feature elevation was copied from the 2002 GNIS. 10000 Feature name was changed. 10 Feature was moved from an incorrect location. 1 Feature was moved to Montana's boundary from an out-of-state location. 20 Feature's source coordinate was moved from an incorrect location. Change_Log Integer 4 10 0 Source_Lat Latitude of the feature's upper end. This is blank for most features other than streams and valleys. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 2 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the source was edited by the State Library. Source_Lat Double 8 38 8 Name Official Feature Name. If a feature has a 1 in the ten thousands column of the Change_Log field, the name was edited by the State Library. Name String 96 0 0 OBJECTID Shapefile sequence number OBJECTID OID 4 10 0 Esri Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated. GNIS_ID This is the unique Feature_ID assigned to the feature by the GNIS. This number is assigned by the Geographic Names Information System and used as a relational key for uniquely identifying, indexing, and searching geographic features and for integrating or reconciling GNIS data with other data sets. The number has no information content. The GNIS Feature ID supersedes the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 55 Place Code as the Federal standard unique feature identifier and is under consideration as an ANSI standard. Features with negative ID numbers have been added to the database by the State Library and are not in the national GNIS. GNIS_ID Integer 4 10 0 Source_Lon Longitude of the feature's upper end. This is blank for most features other than streams and valleys. If the value of the Change_Log field has a 2 or a 3 in the tens column, the location of the source was edited by the State Library. Source_Lon Double 8 38 8 Elevation Elevation of the feature in feet. This elevation may be an estimate from the National Elevation Dataset, it may be from the 2002 GNIS, or it may be an elevation recorded from a topographic map. The value of the Change_Log field will have a 1 in the thousands place if the elevation was noted as being printed on a 1:24,000 scale topographic map, a 2 in the thousands place if the elevation was estimated by examining the feature location on a 1:24,000 scale topographic map, or a 4 in the thousands place if the elevation was copied from the 2002 GNIS. The elevation source of the 2002 GNIS is believed to be the largest scale topographic map that was available when the feature was entered into the GNIS in the 1980s, which may have been a 1:100000, 1:62500, or 1:24000 scale map. Elevation Integer 4 10 0