There are many different identifiers that a person may have throughout their life. Some should never changed like a social security number. Some tend to stick around a person like their phone number. Some of them are only permanent as their place of residence. This is where zip codes come into play.

People may think that the mail is something from the past and zip codes aren’t important. However, consider the fact that online shopping is now more accessible and exciting than it has ever been. While letters may no longer be something that are exchanged often, there are more packages and parcels moving from online retailers to people throughout the United States than ever before. Zip codes are one of the keys to making sure that packages and letters move quickly and efficiently.

Looking Up Zip Codes Online

There are many different ways in which a person can find a zip code for someone or a region. The first thing anyone should do is perform a search in a search engine. The results returned should provide plenty of options on how to look up a zip code.

No matter what location is chosen, some criteria will be needed. In some cases, it’s possible to search up a person’s zip code by their name alone. This is tricky, because you need to make sure that it’s the only name in a region. It also needs to be a case where the directory being used is more local. If it’s a national directory, it’s highly unlikely it’s going to find all the information from a single name. In these cases, large directories will likely allow people to break down their search into smaller sections.

Looking Up Zip Codes by Street Address

The most common way that a person may search for a zip code is by street address rather than a person’s name or other information. Searching by street address may have multiple reasons. Some people do it because they are sending a package. Other people may be tracking a package that has been sent. Finally, some people will look up zip codes for the purpose of real estate. Potential buyers want to know everything about property they are considering. Looking up the zip code is just another piece of information they can have before deciding if they want to buy.

It’s also possible to check out the history of zip codes. Many zip codes have changed over history, so it’s possible that people will remember information incorrectly. It’s pretty easy to mix up a five digit number after all.

Questions and Answers

Q: Do I really need to put a zip code on a package?

A: The truth is that mail can still be delivered without a zip code. However, it’s difficult and can cause some seriously long delays.

Q: What is Zip+4?

A: Zip codes are 5 digit numbers for a region. In addition to a zip code, there are zip+4 numbers. These numbers don’t just give an area, but the +4 portion designates a specific delivery path to further increase the speed of delivery.

Q: Is All Zip and Zip+4 Information Available In the Same Place?

A: The USPS website has some huge listings that can assist people in discovering the zip codes and information they need.