Truncated ZIP Codes

[checkrail]

Do all US addresses have a second group of numbers in the code or just a few? If the former, why do most people appear to think it is not worth using?
Kind regards
Timothy

[Silverbreeze]

All do
Mostly because we are old and have memorized the original zip for so long we forget about the +4
They are not required yet and we would have to look it up

The first 6 is State and City (sometimes also neighborhood )
The +4 are some sort of sorting code. Not sure if it's blocks or routes

[mrcharlie]

https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action

[Laura N]

I'm in my 40s. I can't remember that many numbers. :)

Since you don't actually need it, I think many folks figure "why bother?" Maybe if I had an issue with mail being delivered, I'd be motivated to add it.

[jar]

I'm not sure what the +four stand for but I and all my neighbors share the same extended zip code.

[Silverbreeze]

Bet you all have the same mail person Jar

Which is why I think it's truck route numbers

[sgtstretch]

I live in a small farm town and all the houses have their own unique +4. I found this on zip-codes.com (http://www.zip-codes.com/blog/2013/05/01/what-is-a-zip-4-code/):

The first five digits identify the area of the country and the delivery office to which the mail is directed. ZIP Codes start with a zero (0) in the northeast and gradually get higher as you move west. ZIP Codes in the far west start with a nine (9).

The sixth and seventh digits point to a delivery sector, which may be several blocks, a group of streets, a group of Post Office boxes, several office buildings, a single high-rise office building, a large apartment building or a small geographic area.

The last two digits represent a delivery segment, which might be one floor of an office building, a side of a street, specific departments in an office, or specific Post Office boxes.

[jar]

I live in a small farm town and all the houses have their own unique +4. I found this on zip-codes.com (http://www.zip-codes.com/blog/2013/05/01/what-is-a-zip-4-code/):

The first five digits identify the area of the country and the delivery office to which the mail is directed. ZIP Codes start with a zero (0) in the northeast and gradually get higher as you move west. ZIP Codes in the far west start with a nine (9).

The sixth and seventh digits point to a delivery sector, which may be several blocks, a group of streets, a group of Post Office boxes, several office buildings, a single high-rise office building, a large apartment building or a small geographic area.

The last two digits represent a delivery segment, which might be one floor of an office building, a side of a street, specific departments in an office, or specific Post Office boxes.


That's interesting but all our mail gets delivered to communal boxes around the development. But the last two digits do vary based on which side of the street the house is located even though the mail delivery for several street and half of each odd and even grouping get delivered to the same communal box. It looks like the code does somewhat point to where the house is located but not to where the mail gets delivered.

[mailartist]

I can remember my zip + 4 (and my phone number . . . and address . . . and social security number), but it's all the OTHER data bric-a-brac that I forget -- computer user names and passwords -- and even more so if the data system requires me to CHANGE that password every year to something completely different (and with or without letters, numbers, capitals, or unique characters, and of so-many-characters-in-length). By the time I've memorized the old, I have to think of something new, and by THAT time, I'm completely befoggled. (I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.) After all, one only ever has one, and only one, birthday. It's not a date that's on casters, that can be randomly changed for security purposes.

THANK HEAVENS that snail mail is friendlier and more egalitarian, and that the post office doesn't require me to key in some outrageously long password before I'm allowed to adhere a stamp to the upper right corner of an envelope.

[Type40]

mailartist, you are definitely not alone with your password woes. Here is the best description I have how on the issue.
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/password_strength.png

[Lady Onogaro]

That's great, Mark. It made me laugh.

[writingrav]

I was thinking of starting a new thread, but I'll just put it here:
Since Charlie put the link to the zip+4 finder I have it bookmarked on my computer and I'm looking up every+4 number for all my correspondence. After writing my own return address 3 or 4 times I had mine memorized. I don't remember anyone else's 5 digit zip without looking so that part is easy. I just thought that as people with a big stake in the postal service perhaps we should take the lead in helping it work more efficiently. What say you all?

[Bogon07]

mailartist, you are definitely not alone with your password woes. Here is the best description I have how on the issue.
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/password_strength.png
One of the applications at work increased the password requirements from 6 to 12 characters but now has the option to auto-generate a new password and send it to you in an email titled Confidential: Password Reset Notification - Self Service Portal :confused:

[Type40]

now has the option to auto-generate a new password and send it to you in an email titled Confidential: Password Reset Notification - Self Service Portal :confused:

Couldn't find a emoticon slapping its forehead with the palm of its hand or one beating its self against a desk/wall/anything hard...

[southpaw52]

Since I use a post box my last four are the last four numbers of my post office box. Which makes it simple to remember.

[Wile E Coyote]

now has the option to auto-generate a new password and send it to you in an email titled Confidential: Password Reset Notification - Self Service Portal :confused:

Couldn't find a emoticon slapping its forehead with the palm of its hand or one beating its self against a desk/wall/anything hard...

http://www.thescienceforum.com/images/smilies/bang.gif

[VertOlive]

I've been superstitious about always using the extra four digits in my return address and have suspected I've got some nominal OCD. For some reason, not even the Police or the School District show our house on their maps since part of the property belongs to a golf club.

Now that I've read this, I feel I'm being a little more logical in using it...

[rdcalhoon]

If I remember correctly, when you are doing a big mailing to lots of addresses you get a better rate if you use the extra digits and sort everything numerically.

I take the presence of the extra digits as a clue that I am receiving a mass mailing. (Unless the address is hand written in fountain pen ink.)

[nospam666]

The 9 digit ZIP came along when I was a child, & I have always been in the habit of using it.

I live in an apartment building with only 10 units, and we have 5 different 9 digit zip codes in just our building. You could put my nine digit zip on an envelope with no other address and it would get to me.

[Paddler]

We have a post office box in a small town. Our +4 is our box number. That is easy to remember but we still don't use it. Actually, you can address a letter to me using only my first name, city, and state and I will get it.

[FredRydr]

I try to use all nine numbers when I have a computer handy to look up the zip code online. Otherwise, the original five will do.

Fred

https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/files/2013/06/Mr-ZIP.jpg

[snowbear]

(deleting post to zombie thread ans slinking away)

[Hawk]

We have a post office box in a small town. Our +4 is our box number. That is easy to remember but we still don't use it. Actually, you can address a letter to me using only my first name, city, and state and I will get it.

A more simple life, that is great. In our small town, a first and last name would get it to me. The PO would grumble quite loudly, oh well.

[jbb]

...and don't even ask us about going metric!!!!!!:puke: