Difference between revisions of "ZIP code"
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A '''ZIP code''' is a five-[[digit]] [[numeric]] [[code]] used by the [[United States Postal Service]] in sorting [[mail]]. The first digit indicates a group of [[state]]s; the second and third, a region of a state or a large [[city]]; and the fourth and fifth, a small [[town]], a delivery area in a larger town or city, a particular postal facility, or a particular large mail recipient. Extensions of the ZIP code include the nine-digit ZIP+4 code and the 11-digit ABC (Advanced Bar Coding) code. | A '''ZIP code''' is a five-[[digit]] [[numeric]] [[code]] used by the [[United States Postal Service]] in sorting [[mail]]. The first digit indicates a group of [[state]]s; the second and third, a region of a state or a large [[city]]; and the fourth and fifth, a small [[town]], a delivery area in a larger town or city, a particular postal facility, or a particular large mail recipient. Extensions of the ZIP code include the nine-digit ZIP+4 code and the 11-digit ABC (Advanced Bar Coding) code. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Zip codes are encoded into barcodes using a redundant binary code and stamped on letters. A "1" (tall line) starts and ends the zip code, and immediately before the final "1" comes a [[checksum]] digit which, when added to all five digits of the zip code, adds to a multiple of 10. The code scheme is chosen so that each digit's binary equivalent has exactly two "1"'s. Digits are encoded as follows: | ||
| + | |||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |+ '''Numeric values in ZIP code''' | ||
| + | !Digit | ||
| + | !Binary encoding | ||
| + | !Digit | ||
| + | !Binary encoding | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |1 | ||
| + | |00011 | ||
| + | |6 | ||
| + | |01100 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |2 | ||
| + | |00101 | ||
| + | |7 | ||
| + | |10001 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |3 | ||
| + | |00110 | ||
| + | |8 | ||
| + | |10010 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |4 | ||
| + | |01001 | ||
| + | |9 | ||
| + | |10100 | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |5 | ||
| + | |01010 | ||
| + | |0 | ||
| + | |11000 | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | |||
[[Category:United States Government]] | [[Category:United States Government]] | ||
Revision as of 23:29, November 16, 2009
A ZIP code is a five-digit numeric code used by the United States Postal Service in sorting mail. The first digit indicates a group of states; the second and third, a region of a state or a large city; and the fourth and fifth, a small town, a delivery area in a larger town or city, a particular postal facility, or a particular large mail recipient. Extensions of the ZIP code include the nine-digit ZIP+4 code and the 11-digit ABC (Advanced Bar Coding) code.
Zip codes are encoded into barcodes using a redundant binary code and stamped on letters. A "1" (tall line) starts and ends the zip code, and immediately before the final "1" comes a checksum digit which, when added to all five digits of the zip code, adds to a multiple of 10. The code scheme is chosen so that each digit's binary equivalent has exactly two "1"'s. Digits are encoded as follows:
| Digit | Binary encoding | Digit | Binary encoding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 00011 | 6 | 01100 |
| 2 | 00101 | 7 | 10001 |
| 3 | 00110 | 8 | 10010 |
| 4 | 01001 | 9 | 10100 |
| 5 | 01010 | 0 | 11000 |