Postal vs Zip Codes

Every time I have to tell my Toronto address to someone in the US, they ALWAYS question the postal code (unless they do extensive international shipping).  The format is quite different here in Canada.  In the US, the zip code is a 5 digit numerical number (no spaces).  In Canada however, the postal code is a 6 digit alpha-numerical code that identifies your location very specifically.  It is in the format of L#L  #L#.  I'm always surprised how much people here know about me just by stating the first three characters of our postal code (Go M5S!).


Here is what the Canada Post says it all means:

The first three characters are the Forward Sortation Area.

• The first character identifies one of 18 major geographic areas. In ours, M identifies the Toronto area.
• The second character identifies either:

• an urban Postal Code: numerals 1 to 9 (E2J); or
• a rural Postal Code: numeral 0 (zero) (A0A).
• The third character (E2J) in conjunction with the first two characters, describes an exact area of a city or town or other geographic area.

The second three characters are the Local Delivery Unit.  In urban areas, the last three digits may indicate a specific city block (one side of a street between two intersecting streets), a single building or, in some cases, a large-volume mail receiver.  In rural areas, the last three digits, together with the forward sortation area, identify a specific rural community.

This is good stuff!