Background
In Alaska, it can be difficult to determine the proper City name to use in Waze roads and places. Alaska is not fully divided into Counties like other states. The closest comparison are Boroughs, which are typically large areas with regional governments. These may or may not contain any incorporated first-class Cities. Many areas of Alaska do not have official city governments. Additionally, there are several local governments which combine the functions of a Borough and City - the Municipality of Anchorage is the largest example - these "cities" may have other "town" names within their jurisdiction.
Procedure
To determine the City name to apply to road segments, follow this procedure:
- If you are within the official City Limits of a first-class city or municipality, use the name indicated by that government. Note a few large cities contain towns with different names. These are indicated by a zip code with a different city name. Known examples within Anchorage are Eagle River, Chugiak, Indian Creek, and Girdwood. Douglas within the City and Borough of Juneau is another example.
- If you are outside city limits, use the Census Designated Place (CDP) name. The Cities Overlay script indicates the CDP area names. Then apply the USPS ZIP code city name for the area as an Alternate city name - conveniently indicated by the WME USGB Script.
- If you are not within a CDP, check the "No City" box. Then apply the USPS ZIP code city name for the area as an Alternate city name.
Place Names
To determine the address for a place point or area:
- Use the address published by the business on their website, otherwise:
- Use the address from the ZIP code lookup site at USPS.com, otherwise:
- Follow the instructions for road segments above, including using parcel addresses from GIS sources.
Helpful scripts for determining city names:
- WME Cities Overlay Script shows Cities and CDP areas
- WME USGB Script Shows Zip code areas and names
- WME GIS Buttons provides links to local GIS resources to determine city boundaries
Municipality of Anchorage
The Municipality of Anchorage publishes a GIS web page to determine official addresses, as used by the 911 system.
Anchorage Official Addresses Shows zip code boundaries within Anchorage. All areas except Eagle River, Chugiak, Indian, and Girdwood have "Anchorage" as a city name. Click on a parcel to determine official address.