# British Zip Codes vs US Zip Codes

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 28, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789 "2009-02-28T13:45:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789/21 "2009-03-02T13:42:52Z")

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> [@MarcusF](#):
>
> What question?

That’s very strange, my original posting has disappeared.😕

I had asked if the US ZIP code was detailed enough to be entered into a sat-nav to take you to a specific address.

In the UK this is possible because our system only includes a small number of addresses for each post-code.

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### Author: ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789/22 "2009-03-02T14:25:58Z")

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> [@Rayne\_Man](#):
>
> That’s very strange, my original posting has disappeared.😕
> 
> I had asked if the US ZIP code was detailed enough to be entered into a sat-nav to take you to a specific address.
> 
> In the UK this is possible because our system only includes a small number of addresses for each post-code.

That would require ZIP + 4, and I’ve never seen a SatNav that uses all 9 digits. I suspect that it will happen eventually.

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### Author: ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789/23 "2009-03-02T14:31:51Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> That would require ZIP + 4, and I’ve never seen a SatNav that uses all 9 digits. I suspect that it will happen eventually.

Thanks for the answer.

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### Author: ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789/24 "2009-03-02T15:40:16Z")

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> [@Rayne\_Man](#):
>
> That’s very strange, my original posting has disappeared.😕
> 
> I had asked if the US ZIP code was detailed enough to be entered into a sat-nav to take you to a specific address.

Not the 9-digit version. For example, my mother shares the same ZIP+4 with the four other detached, single-family houses on her side of the street.

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### Author: ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [March 2, 2009, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-zip-codes-vs-us-zip-codes/487789/25 "2009-03-02T15:53:04Z")

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> [@Walloon](#):
>
> Not the 9-digit version. For example, my mother shares the same ZIP+4 with the four other detached, single-family houses on her side of the street.

On UK SatNavs you can enter the house number plus the post-code to take you to a specific address.

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