Zip Codes
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The ZIP Code system (an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan) is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The term ZIP was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly (zipping along) when senders include the code in the postal address. ZIP Code and ZIP+4 are registered trademarks of the United States Postal Service, which also registered ZIP Code as a service mark until 1997.
Introduced on July 1, 1963, the basic format comprised five digits, the first designating a region of the country and subsequent digits localizing the destination further. In 1983, an extended code was introduced named ZIP+4; it included the five digits of the ZIP Code, followed by a hyphen and four digits that designated a location even more specific than the original five.
Private carriers and the USPS use ZIP Codes to route deliveries. In addition, ZIP Codes have become a basis for breaking down demographic, marketing, and sales data for analytical purposes.
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