ZIP Code geeks

[minneha]

Are there any ZIP Code geeks here? I have taken an interest in ZIP Codes and how the mail distribution system works.

In Kansas, all ZIP Codes start with 66 or 67. The 66 prefixes are mostly in eastern Kansas, except for the 669 prefix, which is in north central Kansas. The 67s are mostly in central and western Kansas. Mail from all 66 prefixes goes to Kansas City, Missouri to be processed, except for 669 mail, which goes to Wichita. Wichita has the only Processing & Distribution Center in Kansas, after consolidations closed the other ones. Most 67 prefix mail goes to Wichita, except 677, which goes to North Platte, and 679, which goes to Amarillo.

The 679 prefix only has 7 ZIP Codes. The first ZIP Code in Kansas in numerical order is 66002, Atchison. The last in numerical order is 67954, Rolla.

There was talk about sending North Platte mail to Denver for processing, which would have sent 677 mail to Denver. But they reversed that decision, so 677 mail still goes to North Platte. There was also talk about the Wichita Processing & Distribution Center closing, but that also seems to have died down. Many people don't realize that Wichita processes mail from a huge area, from Norton in northwest Kansas to Johnson City in southwest Kansas to Independence in southeast Kansas.

[jp the roadgeek]

I have for the purpose of determining blackouts for NBA teams and availability of regional sports networks.  In the only town in my county whose first 3 digits are different from the rest of the county, and because of that, I'm the only one who can't get a team's games on a local network and have to pay for League Pass (got around said blackout when my streaming service detected I was in another nearby ZIP that could get the games.

[GaryV]

In the mid 1970's I used to know all the Zip Codes in several western Michigan counties. I worked for a non-profit that mailed out a lot of donation letters. Some of which I had printed. And when there was no printing to be done, I might help creating the metal plates with potential donor addresses. I typed slow enough that I didn't overwhelm the machine. Some of the other clerical workers typed too fast. Since we had to separate all the outgoing mail, remembering the zip codes helped in the work.

[bassoon1986]

I think maybe I fall into this category a bit. It's fun for me to search Google Maps by a zip code and see the crazy boundaries of why this town and this area fits and why another area doesn't.

I honestly didn't realize for the longest that the last two digits in zip codes were based on the towns in that district listed alphabetically. So my town of Woodworth is 71485 near the end while Aimwell with an A is 71401.

Louisiana contains 70 and 71 zip codes. Lowest is 70000 in Metairie and largest is 71497 in Natchitoches.

Shreveport, where I grew up, also has what I think is a unique thing related to zip codes. Most zip codes in Shreveport and Bossier City start with 711. Every zip there locally is pronounced "seven eleven ___" and my home address being pronounced "seven eleven oh seven". Even the few with different numbers at the end: 71111 is seven eleven eleven. 71129 is seven eleven twenty nine. I'm assuming it was always said that way because of the rhyme.

Are there any other areas of the US that don't pronounce each 5 numbers separately?

[Flint1979]

I know a lot of the zip codes around me and almost all of the zip codes in the city of Detroit. Flint, Lansing and Saginaw I know pretty well.

[mgk920]

I've learned long ago where most of the nearby 549xx codes are in the west half of the Appleton, WI area (Oshkosh, WI et al), but never found a real need to learn the where the 541xx codes are in the eastern half of the metro area (Green Bay, WI outside of the GRB urban area, which is 543xx).  Wisconsin has all of the numbers starting with 530 through 549.  It likely will not happen until after I am long gone, but I do anticipate the Zip Code numbers in the 541, 543 and 549 areas being reallocated over time as the northeastern Wisconsin area grows and matures.

Also, assuming that President Trump's territorial thing bears fruit, what number ranges could we see being used by the USPS for Zip Codes?  I'm thinking that we'll be seeing numbers starting with 'A' and 'B' (ie 'A0101' or 'B0401').

Mike

[jeffandnicole]

Zip codes were generally numbered in alphabetical order after the 123xx, but that system broke down as newer zip codes were added after the initial list.

Zip codes are also their lowest in the Northeast, yet somehow NJ retained 07 and 08 even though NYC begins with 10.

Zip codes that begin with 0 occasionally have issues with computer programs that treat the code as a number, not as a text string, and will leave the leading 0 off, which results in a bad 4-digit code (such as 8052 for New Jersey).

[bandit957]

I'm more interested in mail distribution in general.

[bandit957]

In some ways, this is sort of like phone numbers.

[michravera]

I think maybe I fall into this category a bit. It's fun for me to search Google Maps by a zip code and see the crazy boundaries of why this town and this area fits and why another area doesn't.

I honestly didn't realize for the longest that the last two digits in zip codes were based on the towns in that district listed alphabetically. So my town of Woodworth is 71485 near the end while Aimwell with an A is 71401.

Louisiana contains 70 and 71 zip codes. Lowest is 70000 in Metairie and largest is 71497 in Natchitoches.

Shreveport, where I grew up, also has what I think is a unique thing related to zip codes. Most zip codes in Shreveport and Bossier City start with 711. Every zip there locally is pronounced "seven eleven ___" and my home address being pronounced "seven eleven oh seven". Even the few with different numbers at the end: 71111 is seven eleven eleven. 71129 is seven eleven twenty nine. I'm assuming it was always said that way because of the rhyme.

Are there any other areas of the US that don't pronounce each 5 numbers separately?

The plan is for first digit = Major Region
Next two = Major City
Last two = Zone Numbers within the city.

For rural, the gave major rural areas of the state the same next two.

It would have been counterproductive to assign numbers alphabetically.

[Big John]

I've learned long ago where most of the nearby 549xx codes are in the west half of the Appleton, WI area (Oshkosh, WI et al), but never found a real need to learn the where the 541xx codes are in the eastern half of the metro area (Green Bay, WI outside of the GRB urban area, which is 543xx).  Wisconsin has all of the numbers starting with 530 through 549.  It likely will not happen until after I am long gone, but I do anticipate the Zip Code numbers in the 541, 543 and 549 areas being reallocated over time as the northeastern Wisconsin area grows and matures.

Mike

541xx is west of Green Bay (and De Pere) in the Green Bay zone and 542xx is east of Green Bay in that zone.

[mgk920]

I've learned long ago where most of the nearby 549xx codes are in the west half of the Appleton, WI area (Oshkosh, WI et al), but never found a real need to learn the where the 541xx codes are in the eastern half of the metro area (Green Bay, WI outside of the GRB urban area, which is 543xx).  Wisconsin has all of the numbers starting with 530 through 549.  It likely will not happen until after I am long gone, but I do anticipate the Zip Code numbers in the 541, 543 and 549 areas being reallocated over time as the northeastern Wisconsin area grows and matures.

Mike

541xx is west of Green Bay (and De Pere) in the Green Bay zone and 542xx is east of Green Bay in that zone.

542xx is centered in algoma, WI.  Green Bay (city et al except for De Pere) is 543xx

Mike

[mgk920]

Zip codes were generally numbered in alphabetical order after the 123xx, but that system broke down as newer zip codes were added after the initial list.

Zip codes are also their lowest in the Northeast, yet somehow NJ retained 07 and 08 even though NYC begins with 10.

Zip codes that begin with 0 occasionally have issues with computer programs that treat the code as a number, not as a text string, and will leave the leading 0 off, which results in a bad 4-digit code (such as 8052 for New Jersey).

Puerto Rico starts with '00'.  However, the 'island' itself does not account all of the possible '00xxx' numbers.

Mike

[hotdogPi]

It would have been counterproductive to assign numbers alphabetically.

The "hundred blocks" seem to be alphabetical here. For example, 018xx and 019xx (and probably most of the rest) both assign 01 as the last two digits to the major city, and then the rest are alphabetical by town.

[NWI_Irish96]

Schenectady has the stupidest ZIP Code I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!

[kalvado]

Schenectady has the stupidest ZIP Code I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!

If you're talking about 12345, that's not really Schenectady. And it is sort of a pride thing for those guys.

[Big John]

Schenectady has the stupidest ZIP Code I've ever heard of in my life! That's the kinda thing an idiot would have on his luggage!

If you're talking about 12345, that's not really Schenectady. And it is sort of a pride thing for those guys.

Then Green Bay has 543xx, but 21 is not assigned for the last 2 digits.

[chrisdiaz]

I previously worked at two different jobs in a high tourist area (Myrtle Beach). As part of our checkout procedure we had to input their zip code. I pretty much can recognize any zip code in the Carolinas and know the general area it comes from, if not the exact city/town. At one point if you told me any zip code I could pretty much make out what state it was from at minimum.

[michravera]

I think maybe I fall into this category a bit. It's fun for me to search Google Maps by a zip code and see the crazy boundaries of why this town and this area fits and why another area doesn't.

I honestly didn't realize for the longest that the last two digits in zip codes were based on the towns in that district listed alphabetically. So my town of Woodworth is 71485 near the end while Aimwell with an A is 71401.

Louisiana contains 70 and 71 zip codes. Lowest is 70000 in Metairie and largest is 71497 in Natchitoches.

Shreveport, where I grew up, also has what I think is a unique thing related to zip codes. Most zip codes in Shreveport and Bossier City start with 711. Every zip there locally is pronounced "seven eleven ___" and my home address being pronounced "seven eleven oh seven". Even the few with different numbers at the end: 71111 is seven eleven eleven. 71129 is seven eleven twenty nine. I'm assuming it was always said that way because of the rhyme.

Are there any other areas of the US that don't pronounce each 5 numbers separately?

The plan is for first digit = Major Region
Next two = Major City
Last two = Zone Numbers within the city.

For rural, the gave major rural areas of the state the same next two.

It would have been counterproductive to assign numbers alphabetically.

[SEWIGuy]

I think maybe I fall into this category a bit. It's fun for me to search Google Maps by a zip code and see the crazy boundaries of why this town and this area fits and why another area doesn't.

I honestly didn't realize for the longest that the last two digits in zip codes were based on the towns in that district listed alphabetically. So my town of Woodworth is 71485 near the end while Aimwell with an A is 71401.

Louisiana contains 70 and 71 zip codes. Lowest is 70000 in Metairie and largest is 71497 in Natchitoches.

Shreveport, where I grew up, also has what I think is a unique thing related to zip codes. Most zip codes in Shreveport and Bossier City start with 711. Every zip there locally is pronounced "seven eleven ___" and my home address being pronounced "seven eleven oh seven". Even the few with different numbers at the end: 71111 is seven eleven eleven. 71129 is seven eleven twenty nine. I'm assuming it was always said that way because of the rhyme.

Are there any other areas of the US that don't pronounce each 5 numbers separately?

The plan is for first digit = Major Region
Next two = Major City
Last two = Zone Numbers within the city.

For rural, the gave major rural areas of the state the same next two.

It would have been counterproductive to assign numbers alphabetically.

There are clear examples though of zip codes being assigned alphabetically within a particular region however. For instance, these are in southern Wisconsin:

53525   CLINTON
53526   COBB
53527   COTTAGE GROVE
53528   CROSS PLAINS
53529   DANE
53530   DARLINGTON
53531   COTTAGE GROVE
53531   DEERFIELD
53532   DEFOREST
53533   DODGEVILLE
53534   EDGERTON
53535   EDMUND
53536   EVANSVILLE
53537   FOOTVILLE
53538   FORT ATKINSON
53540   GOTHAM
53541   GRATIOT
53543   HIGHLAND
53544   HOLLANDALE

[jeffandnicole]

Exactly.  In cases where the Zip Codes aren't alphabetical, there's occasionally reasons why. Right off the bat based on the list below is Cherry Hill which is out of ABC order.  Depending on the timing of both the renaming of Cherry Hill and the list of Zip Codes being created, both of which occurred in the early 1960s, it may have been easier to give Cherry Hill the more prominent 08002 & 08003. Delaware Township would have fit in ABC order, but Cherry Hill wouldn't have fit in between 08019 & 08020, leading to believe the Zip Code list came before the USPS changed the Zip Code due to the town name change. Yet, there's also a 08034 for Cherry Hill between 08033 & 08035, which may mean that Cherry Hill didn't even have a post office at first and used other town for their postal needs.  But for the most part, it's clear that the list was done in alphabetical order.

08002   Cherry Hill
08003   Cherry Hill
08004   Atco
08005   Barnegat
08007   Barrington
08008   Beach Haven
08009   Berlin
08010   Beverly
08012   Blackwood
08014   Bridgeport
08015   Browns Mills
08016   Burlington
08019   Chatsworth
08020   Clarksboro
08021   Clementon
08022   Columbus
08026   Gibbsboro
08027   Gibbstown
08028   Glassboro
08029   Glendora
08030   Gloucester City
08032   Grenloch
08033   Haddonfield
08034   Cherry Hill
08035   Haddon Heights
08036   Hainesport
08037   Hammonton
08041   Jobstown
08043   Voorhees
08045   Lawnside
08046   Willingboro
08048   Lumberton
08049   Magnolia
08050   Manahawkin
08051   Mantua
08052   Maple Shade
08053   Marlton
08054   Mount Laurel
08055   Medford
08056   Mickleton
08057   Moorestown
08059   Mount Ephraim
08060   Mount Holly
08061   Mount Royal
08062   Mullica Hill
08063   National Park
08065   Palmyra
08066   Paulsboro
08067   Pedricktown
08068   Pemberton
08069   Penns Grove
08070   Pennsville
08071   Pitman
08075   Riverside
08077   Riverton
08078   Runnemede
08079   Salem
08080   Sewell
08081   Sicklerville
08083   Somerdale
08084   Stratford
08085   Swedesboro
08086   Thorofare
08087   Tuckerton
08088   Vincentown
08089   Waterford Works
08090   Wenonah
08091   West Berlin
08092   West Creek
08093   Westville
08094   Williamstown
08096   Woodbury
08097   Woodbury Heights
08098   Woodstown

[DandyDan]

When I had my old delivery job in Omaha, I pretty much memorized which parts of Omaha had what ZIP code because all the maps they had had the ZIP code markings. I seem to recall that Carter Lake, Iowa was out of alphabetical order for its area of Iowa due to its unique geography.

[kphoger]

I honestly didn't realize for the longest that the last two digits in zip codes were based on the towns in that district listed alphabetically.

How had I not learned this until now?!

[Scott5114]

Wikipedia used to have a really excellent ZIP code chart, but it was destroyed by the deletionist mafia.

https://web.archive.org/web/20241126195036/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZIP_Code_prefixes

This chart is really good for highlighting the oddities in the system, like "The Lakes, Nevada"—a paper town created because Citibank wanted to put a payment processing center in Las Vegas in the 80s, but pissed their britches at the thought of having customers associate them with Las Vegas. The horror.

[vdeane]

Wikipedia used to have a really excellent ZIP code chart, but it was destroyed by the deletionist mafia.

https://web.archive.org/web/20241126195036/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ZIP_Code_prefixes

This chart is really good for highlighting the oddities in the system, like "The Lakes, Nevada"—a paper town created because Citibank wanted to put a payment processing center in Las Vegas in the 80s, but pissed their britches at the thought of having customers associate them with Las Vegas. The horror.

Meanwhile, not only is Canada's chart still up, they have one for each letter of the alphabet.