Zip code database download free

You can easily notice some of the boundary issues when viewing our maps. Very rural areas aren't labeled as belonging to a ZIP code such as much of Nevada and Utah where there are few, if any, addresses to deliver mail. If the address is on the same street as a ZIP code boundary on the map, be sure to search for the full street address to determine the ZIP code instead of relying on the map.

Their purpose is to convey statistical data about regions that are familiar to most citizens. As discussed above, it is difficult to precisely define a geographic area covered by a ZIP code.

ZCTAs were developed to account for some of the difficulties in assigning an area to a ZIP code and to precisely define a geographic area. In general, they are updated once every 10 years for the Census. The Census assigns an area to a ZCTA according to census blocks the smallest geographic unit used by the census.

Imagine a city block that makes up a typical census block as pictured to the right. It is bounded on all 4 sides by portions of city streets that each have their own name and addresses.

The issue is that census blocks almost always split down the middle of the street. ZIP codes rarely do because that would require two postal workers delivering mail to that street - one for each side of the street. In the example, one mail carrier may deliver to 3 sides of the block via one ZIP code while another mail carrier delivers mail on the other street in a different ZIP code.

When this happens, the Census Bureau will assign the entire block to a single ZCTA in this case, because the census block is the area that is precisely measured. It's been built from the ground up using authoritative sources including the U. Our zip code data comes from our Zip Code Database. Most zip codes are Zip Code Tabulation Areas and are represented as a geographic area. This means that a ZCTA can be in more than one city.

ZIP codes near me are shown on the map above. The additional 4 digits help USPS more precisely group mail for delivery. The map of the first digit of zip codes above shows they are assigned in order from the north east to the west coast.

The first 3 digits of a ZIP code determine the central mail processing facility, also called sectional center facility or 'sec center', that is used to process and sort mail. All mail with the same first 3 digits is first delivered to the same sec center where it is sorted according to the last 2 digits and distributed to local post offices.

The sec centers are not open to the public and usually do most sorting overnight. As you can see from the map of the first 3 digits of zip codes, the digits after the first are also generally assigned from east to west. In the map, 0 is closer to white and 9 is much more vivid. It's easy to follow the gradient across each of the zones even though there are a few exceptions such as the southwest tip of Georgia which uses 39XXX like central Mississippi.

Despite the fact that ZIP codes seem to be geographic in nature, that wasn't their intended purpose. New resources, straight to your inbox. Get updates on the latest industry trends, tips, and news. Records Validated. Twitter Linkedin Facebook Youtube. Get Support. The list of countries available in the GeoNames database, with the corresponding country codes, are given below,.

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The biggest shortfall of ZCTAs, even the release, is that the data is current as of As such, the authoritative, always-correct database is theirs. Happily, they provide free APIs that developers can use. Innovative statistical products created using new data sources or methodologies that benefit data users in the absence of other relevant products.