United States postal abbreviations

The following is a list of abbreviations used by the United States Postal Service. They are used to help the postal service process mail with optical character recognition and other automated equipment. ^[1] (This article concentrates on the abbreviations for states & other areas. There are also official USPS abbreviations for other parts of the address, such as street designators (street, avenue, road, etc.). Details of these are given in the External Links.) <imagemap> Image:US state abbrev map.png|center poly 62 5 102 15 96 47 81 44 69 44 61 42 54 42 52 35 46 32 46 9 Washington poly 45 32 24 70 29 75 35 77 63 85 87 90 92 67 91 65 91 60 94 60 99 51 97 47 84 44 69 44 61 43 54 42 52 36 Oregon poly 27 75 15 102 30 162 43 191 86 195 86 187 91 182 93 177 54 116 62 85 California poly 4 227 75 227 76 279 3 278 Hawaii poly 78 227 151 227 196 295 197 323 4 324 4 281 77 282 Alaska poly 111 17 103 16 96 47 99 52 94 61 91 65 86 90 133 99 138 71 136 68 133 69 123 70 118 55 114 55 118 44 116 44 110 35 107 25 Idaho circle 403 30 10 Vermont circle 428 30 11 New Hampshire circle 484 72 11 Massachusetts circle 484 94 9 Rhode Island circle 484 117 10 Connecticut circle 485 137 10 New Jersey circle 485 159 10 Delaware circle 485 182 11 Maryland circle 484 202 9 District of Columbia poly 196 29 157 25 109 17 108 27 110 37 117 45 114 55 119 54 122 71 137 70 139 66 192 73 Montana poly 245 31 198 30 194 63 250 65 250 59 North Dakota poly 252 103 252 72 248 68 251 65 194 62 191 95 236 98 239 101 241 99 246 99 South Dakota poly 64 86 110 95 97 160 93 158 91 169 55 116 Nevada poly 110 95 133 99 132 109 148 111 142 157 100 149 Utah poly 142 155 99 149 98 156 95 159 91 158 93 175 86 194 84 197 115 215 134 218 Arizona poly 193 73 138 67 132 109 190 116 Wyoming poly 205 118 148 112 143 155 203 162 Colorado poly 144 156 135 217 142 217 144 213 158 214 159 212 191 216 196 163 New Mexico poly 251 103 247 99 239 99 235 97 191 96 189 116 205 118 204 129 261 130 257 124 Nebraska poly 262 130 206 130 203 162 266 163 267 139 263 136 266 133 Kansas poly 195 162 195 167 220 167 220 189 231 195 236 195 240 198 251 198 263 198 270 201 268 176 268 164 Oklahoma poly 243 284 225 279 220 264 209 246 204 241 196 240 191 242 187 249 178 245 175 242 170 228 158 215 158 213 190 217 195 168 219 169 219 189 228 193 236 196 243 196 262 197 269 200 273 201 275 218 279 230 277 244 Texas poly 302 40 291 39 288 40 279 36 267 35 262 33 246 32 251 63 248 69 253 74 252 91 294 91 291 85 280 78 280 70 279 67 282 62 283 54 Minnesota poly 293 92 251 92 251 101 258 123 291 123 292 125 297 120 296 113 301 112 303 106 298 100 295 100 Iowa poly 311 172 313 165 314 166 315 160 313 160 310 153 303 148 305 141 300 140 300 136 293 129 293 123 258 124 262 131 265 132 262 136 266 140 268 169 305 168 306 172 Missouri poly 308 183 312 173 306 173 308 167 268 170 269 201 273 201 273 207 300 206 300 202 299 198 311 173 Arkansas poly 314 233 319 238 327 248 320 252 277 244 278 228 275 220 272 207 300 207 303 216 298 228 313 228 Louisiana poly 356 104 363 90 352 65 345 53 316 45 299 56 302 60 316 63 320 70 322 71 326 67 331 105 Michigan poly 299 56 294 57 294 54 284 57 283 64 279 69 281 77 293 87 296 99 301 102 320 100 325 69 321 71 318 66 318 64 301 59 Wisconsin poly 325 109 326 137 328 141 324 151 323 157 320 156 321 160 315 159 314 161 311 161 312 153 303 148 305 141 299 139 299 135 292 127 296 118 296 115 301 111 302 106 300 102 298 100 321 100 Illinois poly 346 104 331 107 323 109 327 138 324 151 336 151 338 146 341 149 345 140 350 138 Indiana poly 380 97 371 105 364 107 360 105 346 106 350 134 354 135 358 138 367 137 371 140 373 134 375 134 376 130 382 125 382 111 Ohio poly 383 112 382 125 376 129 375 133 373 133 372 137 370 140 370 143 378 151 381 151 381 150 384 150 390 147 392 141 394 135 398 135 400 130 403 126 403 123 405 123 406 124 408 124 408 122 406 120 403 121 395 126 393 121 393 121 389 123 385 123 West Virginia poly 370 143 370 140 366 137 363 138 358 138 355 136 350 134 350 137 345 140 341 148 338 146 336 150 324 151 323 156 320 156 320 159 316 159 315 165 313 167 321 167 325 165 333 164 343 163 351 162 362 162 365 160 370 156 373 153 376 150 Kentucky poly 381 158 372 159 372 160 364 160 364 161 356 162 326 165 325 166 313 167 312 174 308 184 324 183 326 182 360 179 360 176 373 167 381 161 Tennessee poly 326 183 322 183 315 184 306 184 300 196 300 207 302 214 298 224 297 228 310 228 311 227 314 227 315 233 317 236 328 235 327 226 326 219 Mississippi poly 349 181 326 182 326 219 328 234 332 238 340 234 335 225 359 224 358 217 357 207 348 181 326 182 Alabama poly 369 178 363 179 360 179 355 179 354 180 348 180 357 207 359 223 361 226 384 225 386 227 388 227 387 222 393 222 395 206 388 197 374 184 369 182 Georgia poly 395 222 387 222 387 226 385 227 385 225 367 226 360 226 358 223 354 224 347 225 335 226 340 234 360 241 380 244 385 267 400 281 392 292 400 293 423 281 412 248 Florida poly 413 184 402 175 397 175 397 176 392 176 389 173 380 173 369 178 369 182 374 184 388 198 393 206 397 206 414 190 South Carolina poly 411 154 404 155 387 158 381 158 380 161 372 167 362 174 359 177 359 179 364 179 369 178 378 174 385 173 389 173 392 176 397 176 397 175 402 175 413 183 416 186 440 164 434 151 429 150 420 152 North Carolina poly 420 134 416 133 414 132 414 129 415 129 415 126 412 125 410 124 408 123 408 124 405 124 404 123 403 124 403 126 399 131 398 134 394 135 390 147 384 150 381 150 380 151 378 151 376 149 370 154 370 156 364 160 370 160 374 159 380 158 388 158 411 154 429 150 432 148 436 133 433 131 428 134 Virginia poly 423 115 416 116 415 117 411 118 406 120 410 124 413 125 414 123 416 124 415 126 414 132 419 134 422 134 428 134 436 129 428 129 425 122 423 116 Maryland poly 405 120 393 121 394 125 395 126 Maryland poly 413 123 413 126 416 126 416 124 414 123 District of Columbia poly 426 114 423 115 427 128 436 129 428 120 Delaware poly 452 95 441 104 436 102 435 98 427 96 422 90 387 97 385 95 391 90 392 87 389 83 394 80 402 80 404 79 410 76 409 68 412 65 416 59 418 57 429 54 431 61 433 69 436 78 436 90 437 97 439 98 448 94 New York poly 424 114 421 116 416 116 407 119 401 120 394 121 391 122 386 122 385 116 382 99 386 95 388 97 422 90 427 96 426 105 430 109 428 112 427 114 Pennsylvania poly 427 96 426 104 430 108 430 110 426 114 427 118 428 120 432 124 441 117 441 105 436 102 435 98 New Jersey poly 452 91 451 88 450 86 450 83 448 83 446 84 442 85 437 85 437 89 438 94 437 96 439 98 441 96 445 94 Connecticut poly 452 90 455 91 454 86 453 82 450 83 451 88 Rhode Island poly 458 72 452 73 452 74 447 76 441 77 436 79 436 86 436 89 438 85 444 88 448 83 450 83 452 82 457 90 468 84 467 78 Massachusetts poly 455 69 455 73 452 73 452 74 447 75 448 76 441 76 435 62 442 64 442 62 441 61 441 59 443 59 443 51 443 47 446 47 452 66 456 69 New Hampshire poly 443 51 439 51 436 52 429 54 431 65 434 72 436 79 447 72 441 65 442 64 442 61 441 60 441 59 443 59 443 57 444 56 444 54 Vermont poly 455 68 458 68 479 46 477 39 465 19 452 19 448 32 447 42 446 47 450 61 Maine desc bottom-left </imagemap>
Postal codes alphabetized by state (not postal code). Postal abbreviation is same as ISO 3166-2 subdivision code for all fifty states.

State Abbr. FIPS State Code State AL 01 Alabama AK 02 Alaska AZ 04 Arizona AR 05 Arkansas CA 06 California CO 08 Colorado CT 09 Connecticut DE 10 Delaware FL 12 Florida GA 13 Georgia HI 15 Hawaii ID 16 Idaho IL 17 Illinois IN 18 Indiana IA 19 Iowa KS 20 Kansas KY 21 Kentucky

State Abbr. FIPS State Code State LA 22 Louisiana ME 23 Maine MD 24 Maryland MA 25 Massachusetts MI 26 Michigan MN 27 Minnesota MS 29 Mississippi MO 28 Missouri MT 30 Montana NE 31 Nebraska NV 32 Nevada NH 33 New Hampshire NJ 34 New Jersey NM 35 New Mexico NY 36 New York NC 37 North Carolina ND 38 North Dakota

State Abbr. FIPS State Code State OH 39 Ohio OK 40 Oklahoma OR 41 Oregon PA 42 Pennsylvania RI 44 Rhode Island SC 45 South Carolina SD 46 South Dakota TN 47 Tennessee TX 48 Texas UT 49 Utah VT 50 Vermont VA 51 Virginia WA 53 Washington WV 54 West Virginia WI 55 Wisconsin WY 56 Wyoming

These codes do not overlap with the thirteen Canadian subnational postal abbreviations.

Contents 1 Other codes 1.1 Federal districts 1.2 Insular areas 1.3 Freely associated states 1.4 Armed forces 1.5 Obsolete codes 2 Example of address 3 Methodology 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Other codes

Federal districts

Abbreviation	FIPS State Code	Location
DC	11	District of Columbia

Insular areas

Abbreviation	FIPS State Code	Location
AS	60	American Samoa
GU	66	Guam
MP	69	Northern Mariana Islands
PR	72	Puerto Rico
VI	78	U.S. Virgin Islands
UM	(see here for each island)	U.S. Minor Outlying Islands UM is the FIPS alphabetic code. The U.S. Postal Service does not employ the term U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, as mail for any of these islands is routed indirectly (use PR, HI, AA or AP).

Freely associated states

Abbreviation	FIPS State Code	Freely associated state
FM	64	Federated States of Micronesia
MH	68	Marshall Islands
PW	70	Palau

Armed forces

For more details on this topic, see military mail.

Abbreviation	FIPS State Code	Location
AA		Armed Forces Americas (except Canada)
AE		Armed Forces Europe (covers all USARAEUR) Armed Forces Canada Armed Forces Middle East Armed Forces Africa
AP		Armed Forces Pacific

Obsolete codes

Abbreviation	FIPS State Code	Location
CM		Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands changed to MP in 1988 to match ISO 3166-1 and FIPS Alpha Code.
CZ		Canal Zone
TT		Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
PI		Philippine Islands

Example of address

JOHN DOE
359 OAK LN
GIBBSBORO NJ 08026 Adding the line "UNITED STATES" to the bottom of the address is necessary if the envelope or package is being mailed from outside the United States. In this case, international postage rates will apply. It is not necessary if the item is being mailed domestically via the United States Postal Service or military mail service (including overseas locations which pay domestic mail rates). This includes all of the areas served by the postal codes mentioned above, except those noted as obsolete. ZIP codes are assigned to every area served by the USPS.

Methodology

Of the 50 states:

• All 10 two-word states are abbreviated by the first letter of each word:

NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, RI, SC, SD, WV

• 19 states are abbreviated by their first two letters:

AL, AR, CA*, CO*, DE*, FL, ID, IL, IN, MA, MI, NE, OH, OK, OR, UT, WA, WI, WY

• 15 state abbreviations are the first and last letter in a state's name:

CA*, CO*, CT, DE*, GA, HI, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, PA, VA, VT

• The second letter for 9 states is from elsewhere in the name, often the second consonant:

AK, AZ, MN, MO, MS, MT, NV, TN, TX

* seven states (California, Colorado, Delaware, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hamsphire, Tennessee) have the same second letter and last letter.

See also

• List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation
• ISO 3166-2 International standard codes for subdivisions of countries – lists similar abbreviations for many more countries
• Canadian subnational postal abbreviations
• FIPS state code for the numerical equivalents that should be used by computer systems for storage

References

External links

• Official addressing instructions and abbreviations from the USPS (including abbreviations for street addresses)
• Official FIPS Abbreviations (Alpha and Numeric)

•  • e United States state lists
Area · Capitals · Capitol buildings · Counties · Date of statehood · Elevation · FIPS code · GDP (per capita) · Insignia · Largest cities · Name etymologies · Never territories · Population (density) · Postal abbreviations · Poverty  · State Laws · Tallest buildings · Time zone · Traditional abbreviation · Unemployment rate