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A ZIP Code is a 5-digit number that specifies an individual destination post office or mail delivery area. ZIP Codes determine the destination of letters for final sorting and delivery. Each ZIP Code designates a collection of delivery routes used by mail carriers and areas serviced by the USPS.

The most complete ZIP Code is a nine-digit number consisting of five digits, a hyphen, and four digits, which the USPS describes by its trademark ZIP+4. The correct format for a numeric ZIP+4 code is five digits, a hyphen, and four digits.

Also called “plus-four codes”, “add-on codes”, or “add-ons”, the ZIP+4 code starts with the standard five-digit ZIP Code. The four extra numbers are added after a hyphen to complete the ZIP+4. So what do the extra numbers mean? These last 4 digits represent specific delivery routes within delivery areas.

A 5-digit number that identifies a particular postal delivery area in the United States.

A 5-Digit ZIP code represents a USPS delivery area. A 9-Digit ZIP code, also known as a ZIP+4 code or an extended ZIP code, includes the same information as the 5-Digit ZIP code, plus additional information about a specific delivery route within the delivery area.

These should be placed on the same line as the street address. Place the city, state, and ZIP Code in that order on the last line. This must be the last line. Never place an “attention line,” telephone number, or other entries after the ZIP Code line.

So what do the extra numbers mean? These last 4 digits represent specific delivery routes within delivery areas. This extra detail means an even more precise matching to a more granular level. It could represent a handful of houses on one side of a street, or even a single building that receives a high volume of mail.

The address is technically deliverable with nothing more than a ZIP Code. The ZIP Code 12345 is kind of in Schenectady, NY and it belongs to the General Electric Co.