US Zip Code System 2

[prworld]

Hi

Based in the UK, I use a 'postcode address insertion' system to speedily input client details from their postcode.

Is the same facility available/possible for the US zip code system? i.e. input zip code and postal address is displayed...

If not, how is it done in the US?

Many thanks
Rob

 

[johnherman]

If you have the USPS CityState CD loaded ($350 annual for monthly update), you can do some stuff.

For instance, if the zip code is provided, the state and possibly city can be defaulted. In some cases (fairly rare), a zip code will be for more than one small town (uaually rural areas). For instance, my zip code 21635 can be for Galena or Golts, two nearby towns served by the same post office.

For larger cities, there are many zip codes for the city.

The USPS also has a Zip + 4 system which will speed mail delivery but does not guarantee uniqueness of address; several neighboring addresses might share the same zip+4.

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[MDXer]

John can you post the link for USPS CityState subscription info handy would you?

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[MDXer]

John if you have the info handy could you post the link for USPS CityState subscription.

Sorry about the prior cryptic message my boss was on the line asking for stuff.

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[johnherman]

Link to USPS Address Software

http://www.usps.com/ncsc/addressinfo/addressinfomenu.htm

-------------------------
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[MDXer]

Thanks!

Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck

 

[johnherman]

There is one more caveat regarding zip codes.
The zip code 08502 is for the Belle Mead Post Office, however, there is no legal government or geographic entity called "Belle Mead".

The geographic area generally referred to as "Belle Mead" actually encompasses parts of two adjacent townships (local government seats) in Somerset County, NJ. These townships, Hillsborough and Montgomery, are legitimate local governments and each has its own post office as well.

So a person residing on 123 Any Street in Montgomery Township of Somerset County, and paying taxes to those legal government entities, might have a mailing address like this:
John Doe
123 Any Street
Belle Mead, NJ 08502

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[mmerlinn]

There are several other caveats concerning U.S. zip codes.

For example, Fire Island, New York, has a Connecticut zip code because all mail is routed through CT rather than NY. The reason being that Fire Island is just off the coast of Connecticut, but a LONG ways from the rest of NY. CT zip codes range from 06000 thru 06999, while NY zips go from 10000 thru 14999.

There are also two Post Offices in northern Wisconsin that have Michigan zip codes for similar reasons. MI zips range from 48000 thru 49999, & WI zips are from 53000 thru 54999, but the zips for these two towns start with 499.

In addition, there dozens, if not hundreds, of Post Offices near state lines that deliver mail to nearby areas of the adjacent states. For example, Blue Earth, Minnesota delivers mail to both Minnesota AND part of Iowa, so you can have an adress physically in the state of Iowa, but the postal address is a Minnesota address. (I know this because my sister lives in Iowa, yet she has a Blue Earth, MN address).

On top of all that, almost ALL post offices have addresses that span county lines and/or city limits. It is not unusual to have multiple postal addresses within one city. An example is the city of Damascus, Oregon, which does not have its own post office, but does have postal service from Boring (97009), Portland (97266 or 97236), and Clackamas (97015) post offices, just depending upon which part of town the address is in. The Gresham, Oregon post office serves part of Portland, Oregon and the Portland post office serves part of Gresham. And both of them serve parts of numerous other cities and/or areas not in any city.

The bottom line is that the U.S. Postal address is an address for mail delivery, and NOTHING MORE.

Happy zip coding, lol.


mmerlinn

"Political correctness is the BADGE of a COWARD!"

 

[mmerlinn]

Just some corrections and additions to my last post here.

First, Fire Island should be Fisher's Island, zip 06390.

Second, the Portland zip serving Damascus is only 97236. 97266 does not serve any part of Damascus, Oregon, although it does serve part of Happy Valley, Oregon, as does Boring (97009) and Clackamas (97015). And of course, Happy Valley does not have its own post office.

Third, more caveats.

Part of a series of zip codes (all beginning with 201) originally assigned to U.S. Government entities in Washington, DC, was discontinued and those zips have been reassigned to post offices in Northern Virginia. If you use these zip codes for the original government offices, your mail will be sent to Virginia first, then returned to you as undeliverable. So, some mail with 201xx zips goes to government offices in Washington, DC, while the rest goes to Northern Virginia civilian addresses. Very odd, and the only split series I know of in the U.S.

The U.S. post office is constantly adding & discontinuing zips as their delivery requirements change. As a result, some zips have never been assigned to post offices, some have been assigned to only one post office, and others have been assigned & reassigned to one or more post offices. And some have been assigned, then eventually discontinued, and now awaiting to be reassigned to a different post office.

In this process, new post offices are added, others closed, and many combined with other offices, sometimes for postal convenience, and sometimes because of other government actions. For example, when Jacksonville, Florida annexed all of the areas of Duvall county not already in an incorporated city, all of the rural post offices in the county became part of the Jacksonville post office. When that happened all of the zip codes were changed from a 320-- zip code to a 322-- zip code to conform with the rest of the Jacksonville zip codes, all of which started with 322.

Then there are those post offices that originally had only one zip, and now have multiple zips. Case in point, Beaverton, Oregon originally was 97005 and covered all of Beaverton, part of Tigard, part of Portland, and much of the surrounding area in Washington, Clackamas, & Multnomah counties not in any city. Today Beaverton with the same delivery area has 97005, 97006, 97007, 97008, & 97075 and this delivery area includes part of Hillsboro.

The postal service has also reassigned zips 88900 thru 88999 from New Mexico to Nevada. And (if I remember correctly) 88800 thru 88899 to Austin, Texas, also from New Mexico. Originally Texas zips were from 75000 thru 79999, New Mexico from 87000 thru 89999, and Nevada from 89000 thru 89999.

Then you have the zips for the U.S. territories, the U.S. Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico (00600 thru 00999) and the Pacific Territories, like Guam, Wake Island, Micronesia, etc (96900 thru 96999). Mail sent to/from these zips go by a whole different set of rules, a kind of a combination of domestic and international mail rules.

Finally, there are the Military zips, assigned to APOs (Military bases) & FPOs (Individual Ships). Those getting mail from New York (09000 thru 09999, mostly in Europe & North Atlantic), Miami (34000 thru 34099, mostly Africa, Middle East, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean areas), and San Francisco (96200 thru 96699, Pacific Ocean area) have a whole new set of rules devised by the U.S. military.

If I remember correctly, the 004 and/or 005 series (00400 thru 00499, 00500 thru 00599) have been recently assigned to large organizations in New York, like Reader's Digest, Internal Revenue, and the like. Needless to say, those zips are also outside of the range of zips assigned to New York state (10000 thru 14999).

Hope this "clarifies" the U.S. zip code system even more for all of you. lol.


mmerlinn

"Political correctness is the BADGE of a COWARD!"