ZIP Code

Numeric postal code used in the United States and its territories / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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A ZIP Code is a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Introduced on July 1, 1963, the basic format consisted of five digits.[1] In 1983, an extended ZIP+4 code was introduced; it included the five digits of the ZIP Code, followed by a hyphen and four digits that designated a more specific location.

USA-Stamp-1973-ZIPCode.jpg
A 1974 postage stamp encouraging people to use the ZIP Code on letters and parcels

The term ZIP is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan;[2] it was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly[3] (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address. The term ZIP Code was originally registered as a service mark by the USPS; its registration expired in 1997.[4]