Where the place sits
Use Federal Way, Washington (code 23515, estimate 99,729) with rank 344 and state-place pair 53-23515; similar names need all three clues. FIPS 53-23515 identifies the place behind it; the geographic anchor for Federal Way, Washington (rank 344) is 47 degrees 18 minutes 42 seconds north and 122 degrees 20 minutes 16 seconds west. Rank 344 is comparison, not geographic footprint; population estimate 99,729 positions Federal Way, Washington (latitude 47.31160) among included places. Read Federal Way, Washington (FIPS 53-23515) against Washington's Puget Lowland, Olympic and Cascade mountains, Columbia drainage, and dry plateaus; identifier 53-23515 preserves local identity as the view widens.
Natural water references
The statewide drainage near Federal Way, Washington (code 23515, estimate 99,729) is represented by Puget Sound, Columbia drainage, snow-fed rivers, and coastal streams; Code 23515 holds the setting from becoming generic. One state-scale observation behind Federal Way, Washington (rank 344) is that puget Lowland lies between the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range; identifier 53-23515 prevents ambiguous attribution. Neither becomes a complete local survey; the point for Federal Way, Washington (latitude 47.31160), 53-23515, may be compared with the drainage layer. Code 23515 cannot by itself define jurisdiction; Near Federal Way, Washington (FIPS 53-23515), water may separate natural edges from built labels.
Landform and scale
The plotted marker becomes more helpful when Washington stays in view; place Federal Way, Washington (code 23515, estimate 99,729) inside Puget Lowland, Olympic and Cascade mountains, and dry plateaus. The latitude of Federal Way, Washington (rank 344), 47 degrees 18 minutes 42 seconds north, preserves location while the broader terrain supplies another dimension. The wider relief story for Federal Way, Washington (latitude 47.31160) includes the observation that olympic rivers radiate from the high mountain interior; identifier 53-23515 holds attribution plain. Use paired water and terrain setting to keep Federal Way, Washington (FIPS 53-23515) in Washington; place code 23515 preserves identity.
A connected settlement
A city-scale view of Federal Way, Washington (code 23515) works better as a connected settlement field; identifier 53-23515 holds its named place distinct. At 344, Federal Way, Washington (rank 344) combines an estimate of 99,729 with a geographic marker inside Washington. The plotted marker remains tied to rank 344; the setting of Federal Way, Washington (latitude 47.31160) reflects relationships among natural systems. Federal Way, Washington (FIPS 53-23515) is part of its Washington setting; identifier 53-23515 prevents setting from replacing city identity. For rank 344, Federal Way, Washington (estimate 99,729) remains a defined entry inside a larger and changing settlement landscape.
A practical map sequence
Code 53-23515 keeps the sequence tied to one record; for guide entry 344, begin with Washington and narrow toward Federal Way, Washington (code 23515, estimate 99,729). Use 53-23515 as the key for Federal Way, Washington (rank 344), then use its coordinate to keep position consistent across guide scales. The reference holds those clues attached to rank 344; for Federal Way, Washington (latitude 47.31160), drainage offers direction and terrain offers shape. Identifier 53-23515 keeps scope clear; the wider explanation for Federal Way, Washington (FIPS 53-23515) includes the verified marker that glacial kettles form where buried ice melts and the ground subsides.