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A ZIP Code is a 5-digit number that specifies an individual destination post office or mail delivery area. ZIP Codes determine the destination of letters for final sorting and delivery. Each ZIP Code designates a collection of delivery routes used by mail carriers and areas serviced by the USPS.

Some still refer to ZIP codes as US postal codes. The term ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plan. The basic 5-digit format was first introduced in 1963 and later extended to add an additional 4 digits after a dash to form a ZIP+4 code. The additional 4 digits help USPS more precisely group mail for delivery.

The correct format for a numeric ZIP+4 code is five digits, a hyphen, and four digits. The first five digits represent the 5-digit ZIP Code; the sixth and seventh digits (the first two after the hyphen) identify an area known as a sector; the eighth and ninth digits identify a smaller area known as a segment.

This mail is sorted separately from general-delivery mail and often takes a bit longer to arrive at its destination. But, for many businesses the discount is worth it. The USPS requires a full nine-digit zip code for mail sent at a discounted bulk rate.

So what do the extra numbers mean? These last 4 digits represent specific delivery routes within delivery areas. This extra detail means an even more precise matching to a more granular level. It could represent a handful of houses on one side of a street, or even a single building that receives a high volume of mail.

The first number, between 0-9, denotes a geographic area of the U.S. The second two numbers of a zip code specify a specific region within that geographic area and the last two are meant to indicate a specific Post Office.

So what do the extra numbers mean? These last 4 digits represent specific delivery routes within delivery areas. This extra detail means an even more precise matching to a more granular level. It could represent a handful of houses on one side of a street, or even a single building that receives a high volume of mail.

A ZIP code is a postal code used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in a system it introduced in 1963. An extended ZIP+4 code was introduced in 1983 which includes the five digits of the ZIP code, followed by a hyphen and four additional digits that reference a more specific location.

The term ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan; it was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address.

ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan. However, the USPS intentionally chose the acronym to indicate that mail travels more quickly when senders mark the postal code on their packages and envelopes. It makes sense that the term ZIP code would be related to being zippy, which means ?lively? or ?peppy.?