# US zip code question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562 "2020-03-16T05:12:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cornflakes2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@cornflakes2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/1 "2020-03-16T05:12:33Z")
I have a question. I am trying to ship something to Puerto Rico and the zipcode is 00957-192601. Apparently the customer service rep. told me I can only use the 5 digit zip code which is 00957. I don’t know what the 192601 is for but I was instructed by the recipient to put in the full zip code. What the hell is a full zip code? Isn’t 5 digit zip code the full zip code and enough? What is this additional 5 or 6 digits for and does it really matter? I’m so confused. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/2 "2020-03-16T05:17:31Z")
I’m not sure what the extra digits indicate but I’ve come across this myself. ShipStation won’t accept it in the zip code field so I just put in the first five and then put the whole extended number on the address 2 line where an apt number would normally go. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/3 "2020-03-16T05:24:29Z")
Someone gave you the wrong zip code. US zip codes are 5 digits + 4. Use this [look up tool](https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction_input) from USPS to find the correct full zip code. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@cornflakes2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/4 "2020-03-16T05:25:35Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’m not sure what the extra digits indicate but I’ve come across this myself. ShipStation won’t accept it in the zip code field so I just put in the first five and then put the whole extended number on the address 2 line where an apt number would normally go. Good tip. Maybe I should I just put it there, too. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@cornflakes2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes2)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/5 "2020-03-16T05:27:18Z")
> [@Saturn\_Dreams](#): > > Someone gave you the wrong zip code. US zip codes are 5 digits + 4. > Use this [look up tool](https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction_input) from USPS to find the correct full zip code. I agree with you. I’ve only ever seen the 5 digit zip code + 4 digit (sometimes) to indicate a more specific zone within that 5 digit zip code area. The recipient must have made a mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/6 "2020-03-16T06:19:28Z")
The USPS postal code consists of several parts, used to identify increasingly smaller areas of postal delivery. 1. Zip Code. 5 digits used to identify the delivery post office (though not all of them actually contain a post office building any more). 2. Zip+4. A 9-digit Zip code; the original 5-digits representing a city, and 4 more digits. The first 2 of these are a postal delivery sector, and the last 2 are the postal segment. Sectors are things like a bank of post office boxes, or several blocks in a neighborhood. Segments are even more specific, like a block on one side of a street, or a certain floor in an apartment building. 3. there is also an additional 2-digit code, sometimes called Delivery Point, that identifies a specific address. (Note that parts 2 & 3 can be changed by the post office, whenever the mail volume for an area changes, or even when they change their staffing assigned to the area.) Most mail will have a barcode spray-printed along the bottom of the envelope that contains this 11-digit code. Bulk mail will usually come with this already printed with the address, either the 9-digit or the 11-digit version. So what is meant by ‘full zip code’ varies, depending on the speaker. It’s not standardized. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/7 "2020-03-16T11:41:55Z")
The extra digits are not Zip+4, it’s an urbanization code. From [USPS](https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28api_008.htm) > [@](#): > > In Puerto Rico, identical street names and address number ranges can be found within the same ZIP Code. In these cases, the urbanization name is the only element that correctly identifies the location of a particular address. Generally, the abbreviation URB is placed before the urbanization name. So, it should be put in the second street address line, as “URB 192601”. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-zip-code-question/849562/8 "2020-03-17T17:14:02Z")
> [@cornflakes2](#): > > I have a question. I am trying to ship something to Puerto Rico and the zipcode is 00957-192601. … I’ll bet that the Zip+4 is 00957-1926 and the street number is either 1, 101, 201, 301, etc. the +4 zip code changes at a street intersection or whenever the hundreds digit changes. 499 Smith Lane has a different Zip+4 than the next door neighbor at 501 Smith Lane. Many bar codes have all 11 digits which makes every house unique. (I don’t know how they handle office buildings, some of which have their own 5-digit zip code.)