# Zip Codes beginning with zero and Excel **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220 "2003-09-23T01:23:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wahoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee59a6/32.png) [@Wahoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wahoo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/1 "2003-09-23T01:23:25Z")
I am creating an Excel 2000 list of address for relatives and friends to invite to my parents’ surprise 50th Wedding Anniversary party. Several people live in New Jersey and their Zip Codes begin with a zero. If I format the zip code column as “Number” the zeros disappear. Apparently Microsoft and the USPS don’t agree on what a number is. I searched Microsoft database and could only come up with this regarding Access but it seems to apply to Excel: “Avoid storing postal codes in a Number field whose Format property is set to 00000. If you export the data to a text file, or if you include the postal code field in a Mail Merge in Microsoft Word, the Format property is ignored. As a result, any leading zeros in postal codes stored in a Number field are dropped” [http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/preview.aspx?AssetID=HA010550691033&CTT=1&Origin=EC790000701033&QueryID=-c74q7Ejd&Query=zero&Scope=HP%2CHA%2CRC%2CFX](http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/preview.aspx?AssetID=HA010550691033&CTT=1&Origin=EC790000701033&QueryID=-c74q7Ejd&Query=zero&Scope=HP%2cHA%2cRC%2cFX) Well, darn it! I do want to “include the postal code field in a Mail Merge in Microsoft Word”! That’s why I’m doing this I did a mail merge for the office Christmas cards labels the last two years but didn’t come across a New Jersey Zip Code. Is the only solution to this to edit the zip codes in the Word mail merge before the labels are printed out? That’s the only thing I can think of. Does anyone have a solution?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Wahoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ee59a6/32.png) [@Wahoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wahoo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/2 "2003-09-23T01:34:06Z")
I found the solution. Zip Codes are in the Special Category in the format menu. Thanks anyway. Now I know what Gilda Radner’s “Emily Litella” felt like.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/3 "2003-09-23T01:44:37Z")
Glad you found your answer. If this ever comes up with a non-Zip code situation you can also make the column “Text” format, which will allow you to enter numbers with a zero in front. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/4 "2003-09-23T02:03:09Z")
In case you’re typing something other than ZIP codes, “text” format solves the leading-zero problem. What you type is what you get. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/5 "2003-09-23T02:05:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by panache45 \* > \*\*In case you’re typing something other than ZIP codes, “text” format solves the leading-zero problem. What you type is what you get. \*\* You don’t say? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/6 "2003-09-23T12:02:49Z")
Another trick is the old “label” designation, copied from 1-2-3 (I think). In any field, precede anything you want to type with a single-quote (’). It will be treated as a label or text field. Good way to write formulae without treating them as formulae. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/7 "2003-09-23T14:05:35Z")
Ah forget about it ll and boot up the flight sim. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zip-codes-beginning-with-zero-and-excel/203220/8 "2003-09-23T15:03:16Z")
You can also simply put a ’ in front of the zero.