ZIP codes, something which you seldom pay attention to unless you need to send a mail. Did you know that ZIP stands for Zone Improvement Plans? We bet no! We seldom pay attention to basic acronyms that we always come across. You never know what that 5 digit code denotes.
So we decided to take you on a small adventure and let you know 5 never-known facts about ZIP code:
Numbers hold the key to your address
The 4 digits of the ZIP code are not randomly selected. Each one denotes a specific region. Starting from the left, the first digit denotes the national area, the next 2 digits go for the sectional center, and the last 2 digits denote the associate post office. You have ZIP+4 digit, the first 2 digits of the +4 specify the street or the large building and the last 2 digits denote the side of the street or the floor of the large building.
The father of the ZIP codes
While you seamlessly get your mails delivered, there used to be a time when locating addresses was tedious. Robert Moon worked as a postal inspector in Philadelphia. While he too faced the same issues, he worked to get it improved. He suggested a 3-digit ZIP code plan which was eventually modified to 5-digits. By the way, Mr. Moon is also known as Mr. ZIP. Nowadays, you can easily search for random ZIP codes on ZIP code API.
Only two US cities have palindromic ZIP codes
While you may be having a hard time trying to remember ZIP codes of different places, 2 places have a unique advantage. Wayne, New Jersey, and Jacksonville, Florida have palindromic zip codes. The former’s is 07470 and the latter’s 32223. Now, isn’t that a fun number to remember![adsense]
Some buildings boast of their ZIP codes
You must be used to writing ZIP codes +4 for getting your mail/parcel delivered at the right spot. But you will drop your jaws when we tell you that some buildings have their ZIP codes. These buildings have a large mail influx. So tagging them with their neighborhood post office would have made the work tedious. Here are some famous buildings to have their ZIP codes:
- The white house: 20500
- The CIA: 20505
- The sears towers: 60606
- Empire state building: 10118
- Dodger Stadium: 90090
- 101 park avenue: 10178
The mascot with the ZIP code
Smokey, the bear is the mascot of the U.S. Forestry services. It promotes safety awareness campaigns. The original Smokey Bear was the one saved from a forest fire in 1950 and then kept in the national zoo in Washington D.C. Because it received hundreds of fan mails, it had its ZIP code: 20252. No one other than the president of the United States can claim this ZIP! Even though Smokey the bear died, his animated character still receives lots of love from people.
