Just a very basic question as to how ZIP codes work. For example does CA 94102 represent an area of San Francisco or does it refer specifically to one address, in this case The Chancellor Hotel on Union Square, as they quote this in their address.

I am wondering in connection with GPS navigation and how precise it will be if I just quote a ZIP code.

Thanks

Peter
UK

PS What does ZIP stand for?

Hi, Peter.

Zip codes in the US cover a much broader area than they do in the UK. Your first guess is correct, it only represents an area of SF. I know for a fact that there are people living several miles away from me who have the same zip code as mine. So if you only enter a zip code into your navigaion system, you won't get a very precise location.

Another thing that confuses some of our UK visitors. Our house addresses usually do not begin with the number 1. My house # is a 5 digit number, and when I gave my address to a British friend, he commented, "Wow, you live on a very long street!!" The fact is that my street only has 20 homes on it, not 14,000 homes, as it might appear by the number of my house.

I don't know what ZIP stands for....

Just an area-see here:

http://tinyurl.com/4pnk8

R5

Zoning Improvement Plan

R5

No - a 5 digit zip code is an entire neighborhood (usually the area served by one post office - although in some cities there may be more than one office in a zip code).

There are 9 digit zip codes (5 digit with a dash and then 4 digits) which represent either one carrier route - sometimes a very large building - or business post office box.

But you need to use a spcific address to get to the building using GPS. Otherwise you could be an area up to a mile in each direction (in a city - much bigger in the suburbs or country).

For what it's worth, Peter, this is from
US Gov't website:

ZIP code
A Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code is the numerical code assigned by the U.S. Postal Service to designate a local area or entity for the delivery of mail. ZIP Codes may consist of 5, 7, 9, or 11 digits, and may refer to a street section, a collection of streets, an establishment, a structure, or a group of post office boxes.

That really clears it up, LOL !

R5

I think ZIP stands for Zoned Identification Postage or something like that.

CA 94102 would represent an area of San Francisco
and 94102 1234 (zip + 4) would represent an actual address.

I have a P.O. box number and the last 4 of my zip is the po box number.

P_M, I had the impression that American street numbers usually start anew on each block - so "2015 Chestnut Street" would actually be No 15 on the 20th block along. Have I got that wrong? That struck me as a very sensible system, as does the American practice of numbering freeway exits.

Hi, Neil. Well, yes and no.

I can't tell you that the same rules apply everywhere, but here's an observation from my city. The very center of town is the 100 block, and all buildings on that block are 100-something. The next block is the 200 block and all buildings on that block are 200-something, etc. Buildings on one side of the street will have odd numbers, across the street will be even numbers. However, 200 Main Street might be right next to 220 Main Street. (remember, even #'s are on the same side of the street) I do not know where all the numbers inbetween went....

Now let's get back to my street. The first house on the block is 14000 Elm Street. As even #'s are all on the same side, logic would tell you that the house next door s/b 14002, but on our block, it's actually 14004. Once again, I do not know why there isn't a 14002.

When you see a very long house number like mine, it usually means you are far from the center of town. So to sum it up, there is some logic, but not much.

PS My street name is not actually "Elm," but the numbering system is actually what's used on my street.

Well numbering highway exits only seems sensible.

But the house numbering system is not as you desribe. In a few cities there are areas where the number is related to the cross streets - but most places have completely different - and an incr4edible number of varied numbering systems.

"so "2015 Chestnut Street" would actually be No 15 on the 20th block along"

Not exactly. If you're saying 2015 is the 15th house from the beginning of the block, then no, that's not generally correct. My block goes all the way up to 3645, and there are only about 20 houses on the block (including both sides).

I've also seen instances where 2 distinct block share the same beginning numbers - for example, 1 block is 1901 - 1925, then there's a cross street, and then the next block starts up as 1927 - 1950. So it's not always true that 2015 would be the 20th block along, either.

Well thanks for the swift replies, I feel I now know all I need to know about ZIP codes. The explanation about the 5 digit house numbers is also interesting, and has baffled me for years; now that I understand it, it is entirely logical. Most helpful.

Peter
UK

Have done a search for you - perhaps you might try that - and the only "hotel" in NYC listed in your price range in the 92nd St Y. And that's not in December - that's at all for the year.

And unfortunately it's nowhere near a subway stop - and there don;t seem to be private baths.

There are about 8 others listed at under $100 (but I assume they would be more in December), some have private baths but don;t think any is within a block of a subway. Also - as I mentioned - several seem to rent by the hour.

You're most welcome, Peter. I was afraid we had confused you even further. Enjoy your visit to the US, SF is a great city.

Sorry - this post appeared on the wrong thread - Fodor's is having hiccups again.

Oh while I was sending the last message some more came in about house numbering, perhaps I don't understand it after all!

The ZIP code system is administered by the US Postal Service, so it's a national system. Systems for numbering houses are decided locally, and until tonight I had never heard of streets that begn with 5-digit numbers.

The only thing I've seen consistently is that odd numbers are on one side and even on the opposite. And usually, if you're going down the street in the direction in which the numbers are increasing, you'll find the odd numbers on your right.

I was twenty years old the first time I encountered a 5-digit street number, and it truly was a very long street that began with single digits. Where I live, they re-start the numbering when a street crosses a town line, and often change the name of the street as well, so the numbers don't get a chance to grow large.

Five-digit ZIPs cannot possibly denote individual locations in a country with 300,000,000 people; there just wouldn't be enough of them. Around here, towns of up to 25,000 or so get their own ZIP code, and larger ones get several. The ZIP-Plus-4 usually denotes a neighborhood.

The fact of the matter is, pdw, there is no uniform system for numbering houses in the U.S. You've been given several different examples of numbering systems, none of which is the primary system in this country, because there is none!.....There is no consistent or official national system for numbering houses.

P_M

my address here on Siesta Key starts with 1 as in 136.

My old Chicago address was 1009, so I'm not sure why you think that 1 is not used?

Well, there's no consistent system here in Australia either, other than even numbers one side, odd numbers the other (usually). We also suffer from having one street name morph into another, sometimes without even the excuse of crossing a municipal boundary. At least I now know that the US system is not quite as straightforward as I'd imagined.

It could be worse - I've been told that Tokyo street numbers aren't consecutive, having been traditionally allocated in the order the building was constructed.