The ZIP Code is a code used by the United States Postal Service (USPS) and is usually written as ZIP in capital letters. This is where the U.S. zip code is different from other countries, which are generally written as Post Code.
ZIP is the abbreviation of Zone Improvement Plan, which implies that mail can be delivered to its destination more efficiently and quickly. By dividing the country into several zones, the delivery of mail packages can be faster and more convenient.
The most basic ZIP number consists of five numbers, the first number representing each state in the United States, the second and third numbers together representing a region (or a large city), and the fourth and fifth numbers representing more specific regions , such as the town or district of that city.
The first 3 digits of the zip code determine the central mail handling classification, also known as the zoning center, which is used to process and sort the area where mail should be delivered.
All mail with the same first 3 digits is first delivered to the same center, where it is site-specifically sorted according to the last 2 digits and distributed to the local post office.
Four numbers have now been added, allowing mail to be delivered more precisely to its destination. The ZIP number after the added number is called "ZIP+4". For example: 22162–1010, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd digits represent the distribution area or processing and distribution center, the 4th and 5th digits represent the post office or distribution area, the 6th and 7th digits represent the community, and the 8th and 9th digits Numbers indicate segments.