# Addressing with only ZIP code? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2014, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463 "2014-06-10T10:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/41 "2014-06-11T18:09:45Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > One address I will always remember is for the Christian radio series “Adventures in Odyssey”: Adventures in Odyssey, Colorado Springs, CO 80995. No street address, just the name of the program/company and City/State/ZIP. I actually wrote to them once. Got a reply, even, addressing me by name. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/42 "2014-06-11T18:41:02Z")
What do you think would be the fewest characters you could put on an envelope and have a reasonable chance of it being delivered to the correct person? Maybe “Cher” or “Mr T”? For organizations, “FBI” or “TI” would get to the correct place, right? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/43 "2014-06-11T20:53:41Z")
If you believe Cliff Stoll’s [The Cuckoo’s Egg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Egg), CIA agents’ mailing addresses look like this: > [@](#): > > TJ > 20505 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/44 "2014-06-11T23:08:40Z")
That’s possible because that ZIP code is used only by the CIA. So if the internal mailroom is cool with you not using any other identifier, the USPS doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/45 "2014-06-11T23:19:38Z")
A Zip+4 identifies a single large building in an urban area or a block on one side of the street in a residential neighborhood or a similar small range of destinations. Given that You should be able to get it down to a small set of information, such as house no. and Zip+4. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/46 "2014-06-12T00:49:07Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > My mom grew up in a tiny rural town, and nobody used addresses. They’d just address letters to “Name, Town, State” I grew up in such a place. When Zip Codes appeared, “name code” was enough. ---
**Author:** ![Suicide](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Suicide](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suicide)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463/47 "2014-06-12T04:25:59Z")
The PENTAGON is so HUGE that it has its OWN zip code, area code and Subway sandwich shop:p:p:p:p:p [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/addressing-with-only-zip-code/690463.md?page=2)