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What is a ZIP code anyway? May 2004 We all know we have one and need one to mail a letter, but have you ever thought about what a ZIP code is and where it came from? In 1963, the United States Postal Service established a 5-digit code system to identify individual post offices or metropolitan delivery areas. The first three digits of the Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) code identify the delivery area of a sectional center facility (SCF) or a major post office. The last two digits identify a certain delivery area of an associate post office, usually a local branch. Every post office has at least one unique ZIP code. The ZIP+4 extension code came about in 1981 to identify a specific range of delivery addresses. The four digits designate a specific geographic area and specific segment of that area. A certain business may have its unique ZIP+4 extension. So would a specific neighborhood or city block, for example. Both ZIP Code and ZIP+4 are registered trademarks of the United States Postal Service. |
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