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The zip code is written at the end of the address, typically after the City and State. A zip code is always 5 digits. Zip+4 adds four digits to the five digits, and is not needed for a complete address. Zip codes are the postal code used by the US Postal Service.

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 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.

Zip codes: Use the USPS Zip Code Lookup tool, or search Google or Bing. Find area codes: Type the city and state name, along with area code, into Google, Bing, Yahoo, or Wolfram Alpha. Or, use a specialized website like Area Codes, Country Codes, LincMad, or AllAreaCodes.com.

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.

If you want to improve the chances that the letter will make it to its destination quickly, you should use the five-digit ZIP code plus the four additional numbers that are specific to the area. To format, write the ZIP code with a hyphen afterward and then the four additional numbers will immediately follow that.

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.