Some Countries use detailed postal codes to allow more precise localization of addresses. These detailed postal codes serve to improve efficiency in sorting and delivering mail and to more accurately identify addresses. They consist of a combination of letters and numbers and have different formats depending on the country. Here some examples:
- In Ireland, detailed postal codes are known as Eircodes and consist of seven characters, allowing for a unique identification of each address.
- In the United Kingdom (UK), postal codes are alphanumeric codes. They typically have two parts. For example, "SW1A 2AA": "SW1A" represents the postal district in London, while "2AA" narrows down the delivery location, like a specific building or street.
- In the Netherlands, postal codes are called Postcodes and have a format of four numbers and two letters. They represent a geographic region and allow precise localization down to the street level.
- In Canada, postal codes are referred to as Postal Codes. They consist of a combination of letters and numbers and help identify a specific geographic region as well as a precise address or neighborhood.
- In the United States, postal codes are called ZIP Codes. The standard format consists of five digits. There's also an extended format called ZIP+4, which includes the original five digits, a hyphen, and four additional digits for more precise mail delivery.
An overview regarding the coverage of the detailed postal codes is given on our map data page. You can see the availability in the countries table.