Zip codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to identify specific geographic areas for the efficient delivery of mail. The term “ZIP” stands for “Zone Improvement Plan,” and was introduced in 1963 to improve mail sorting and delivery accuracy. A standard ZIP code consists of five digits, with an optional four-digit extension (known as ZIP+4) that provides additional location detail, such as a specific building or apartment. The first digit represents a group of U.S. states, the following digits narrow down to specific regions or cities, and the last two digits usually pinpoint individual post offices or delivery routes. Zip codes are critical for various functions beyond mail delivery, including demographic analysis, marketing, and determining sales tax rates in certain areas.
Zip codes are pivotal in logistics, originally created by the USPS in 1963 to streamline mail delivery through the Zoning Improvement Plan (ZIP). These numeric sequences have evolved globally to…