Search For Latest United Kingdom Post Codes

What is UK Postcode or UK Zipcode:

UK Zipcode or Postcode consist of letters and numbers used for UK addressing and delivery system. Zipcodes are regarded as Postcodes in the UK. So to put it correctly, UK zip code number is the same as UK post code number.

What is UK PIN Code:

UK PIN Code is also known as UK Postal Code, UK Postcode or UK Zipcode. PIN code is the Postal Index Number code system commonly used in India.

What is the Difference Between Post Code, Zip Code and PIN Code:

These three terms: Post Code, Zip Code and PIN Code are used interchangeably and are essentially the same in meaning and in purpose – which is to easily assign and identify a location. The term Zip code is mainly used in the USA; PIN Code is commonly used in India and Post Code is commonly used in UK and in some other countries around the world.

Postcodes in the UK – United Kingdom

A postcode in the UK usually consists of two alphanumeric codes that identify a post town and a few addresses within it. The Outward code (Outcode) contains two to four characters, while the Inward code (Incode) always contains three. The Outcode identifies the postcode area. It starts with one or two letters and ends with one, two, or three digits. Then a space and the Incode, which indicates the sector and delivery point (usually a group of around 15 addresses). This three-character incode starts with a number (indicating a district sector) and ends with two letters (denoting delivery points which are allocated to streets, sides of a street or individual properties). Postcodes are usually, but not always, named after major cities, like B for Birmingham. Some are geographical, like HS for Outer Hebrides and FY for Fylde (the region around Blackpool).

Each UK Postcode district also known as UK Postal code district has a number of non-alphabetized post towns that typically contain one or more postcode districts. For example, the GU postcode area, named after Guildford, covers much of southern England. GU1 and GU2 are the postcode districts for Guildford. Woking, a post town in the GU22 postal district, is 6 miles away. The prefix 1 indicates the central business district of the town/city, e.g. B1 (Birmingham), LS1 (Leeds), M1 (Manchester) (Manchester). These are treated either alphabetically (particularly in London, where Chingford is E4 and Walthamstow is E17) or geographically (the Outer Hebrides area HS numbers the districts north to south).

As a rule, large post towns have higher-numbered districts in the outlying areas. However, the post towns within a postal area can be numbered for various reasons. Except for the town named after the postal area, this is always 1. The postcode alone cannot reliably infer a postcode district’s centrality within a postcode area. Examples of SE1 include much of Central London south of the Thames, while SE2 includes Abbey Wood at the Elizabeth Line’s terminus. You can use the search interface on this page as a postcode checker or postcode finder in uk including postcode map and description.

Postcodes are used for many purposes besides mail sorting, including UK post code such as calculating insurance premiums, routing software, and census enumeration. In addition to storing postcode boundaries, the Postcode Address File database also stores full address data for approximately 29 million addresses (delivery points). In 1917, London was divided into broad numbered subdivisions, which were expanded to other cities in 1934. However, this is against Royal Mail guidelines, which require a complete address.

postal code United Kingdom

Formatting

Postcodes are alphanumeric and range from 6 to 8 characters (including a space). The outward code and the inward code are separated by a single space in each postcode. The postcode area and district make up the outward code. The inward code is the postcode sector and unit. Postcodes include “SW1W 0NY”, “PO16 7GZ”, “GU16 7HF”, and “L1 8JQ”.

Format Example
AN NAA M2 5BQ
ANN NAA M34 4AB
AAN NAA CR0 2YR
AANN NAA DN16 9AA
ANA NAA W1A 4ZZ
AANA NAA EC1A 1HQ

In addition, the special postcode”GIR 0AA” (which does not comply with the above six formats) is also legal.

(Note: In each format, there is a space before the last three characters.)



		

The postcodes in UK can be divided into four parts:

  1. Postal Area: the first letter or the first two letters
  2. Postal District: the characters between the letters of Postal Area and the space
  3. Postal Sector: the number after the space
  4. Delivery Point: the last two letters

For example, in the postcode EC1Y 8SY, EC represents the postal area, 1Y represents the postal district, 8 represents the postal sector, and SY represents the delivery point.

Address Format

Mr. Harry Kane                addressee
49 Featherstone Street        address
LONDON                        city
EC1Y 8SY                      postcode
UNITED KINGDOM                country
Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom

What is United Kingdom address format?

Mr A. Payne
Aramark Ltd.
30 Commercial Road
Fratton
Portsmouth
Hampshire
Po1 1Aa
United Kingdom

United-Kingdom-Postal-code-format

Sorting

Postcodes are used to sort letters manually using labeled frames or increasingly with letter-coding systems with machine assistance. Automated sorting that reads printed postcodes is best suited for mail with a consistent layout and addressing format.

A long string of “faced” letters is presented to a keyboard operator at a coding desk who types the postcodes in coloured phosphor dots onto the envelopes. The associated machine uses these dots to direct letter bundles into the appropriate delivery office-specific bags. The bundles can be further sorted using the dots of the inward sorting code, ensuring that each delivery round receives only its own letters. This feature is only used in large sorting offices that handle high volumes of mail.

In the absence of postcodes (uk postcode number), the operator reads the post town’s name and inserts a code sufficient for outward sorting to the post town. The letter bundles are transported to the delivery office by road, air, or train. Manually handled mail is “set in,” i.e. sorted into the walk order that allows the deliverer to make the most convenient round trip. The latter is now being automated by walk sequencing machines.

Integrated mail processors

They read the postcode and convert it to two phosphorus barcodes, which the machines then print and read, sorting the mail to the correct outward postcode. Letters can also be sorted sequentially using a Compact Sequence Sorter (CSS) that reads the incoming postcode in the order a walking postman/woman will deliver them. An item with an inward-facing phosphorous barcode has an outer-facing phosphorous barcode.

United Kingdom – UK Description

The UK is Europe’s biggest island. It consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, plus numerous islands worldwide. Except for a land border with Ireland, the country is entirely surrounded by water.

The United Kingdom occupies 242,900 square miles of land in northwest Europe. It has a population of over 63 million, with over 8 million living in London. Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Belfast, and Leicester are also large cities in the UK. The official language is English, and the currency is sterling. It is a parliamentary monarchy. The United Kingdom is a major player in global politics and economics.

Area of United Kingdom

Postal Code

London E

E (East)

London EC

EC (East Central)

London N

N (North)

London NW

NW (North West)

London SE

SE (South East)

London SW

SW (South West)

London WC

WC (West Central)

Aberdeen

AB

St. Albans

AL

Birmingham

B

Bath

BA

Blackburn

BB

Bradford

BD

Bournemouth

BH

Bolton

BL

Brighton

BN

Bromley

BR

Bristol

BS

Northern Ireland

BT

Carlisle

CA

Cambridge

CB

Cardiff

CF

Chester

CH

Chelmsford

CM

Colchester

CO

Croydon

CR

Canterbury

CT

Coventry

CV

Crewe

CW

Dartford

DA

Dundee

DD

Derby

DE

Dumfries

DG

Durham

DH

Darlington

DL

Doncaster

DN

Dorchester

DT

Dudley

DY

Edinburgh

EH

Enfield

EN

Exeter

EX

Falkirk

FK

Blackpool

FY

Glasgow

G

Gloucester

GL

Guernsey

GY

Guildford

GU

Harrow

HA

Huddersfield

HD

Harrogate

HG

Hemel Hempstead

HP

Hereford

HR

Outer Hebrides

HS

Hull

HU

Halifax

HX

Ilford

IG

Isle of Man

IM

Ipswich

IP

Inverness

IV

Jersey

JE

Kilmarnock

KA

Kingston Upon Thames

KT

Kirkwall

KW

Kirkcaldy

KY

Liverpool

L

Lancaster

LA

Llandrindod Wells

LD

Leicester

LE

Llandudno

LL

Lincoln

LN

Leeds

LS

Luton

LU

Manchester

M

Medway

ME

Milton Keynes

MK

Motherwell

ML

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE

Nottingham

NG

Northampton

NN

Newport

NP

Norwich

NR

Oldham

OL

Oxford

OX

Paisley

PA

Peterborough

PE

Perth

PH

Plymouth

PL

Portsmouth

PO

Preston

PR

Reading

RG

Redhill

RH

Romford

RM

Sheffield

S

Swansea

SA

Stevenage

SG

Stockport

SK

Slough

SL

Sutton

SM

Swindon

SN

Southampton

SO

Salisbury

SP

Sunderland

SR

Southend on Sea

SS

Stoke Trent

ST

Shrewsbury

SY

Taunton

TA

Galashiels

TD

Telford

TF

Tonbridge

TN

Torquay

TQ

Truno

TR

Cleveland

TS

Twickenham

TW

Southall

UB

Warrington

WA

Watford

WD

Wakefield

WF

Wigan

WN

Worcester

WR

Walsall

WS

Wolverhampton

WV

York

YO

Lerwick

ZE