Parts of an Address: What to Include and How to Write an Address for Various Purposes?
Address is an important component of ensuring effective communication. However, we often get so caught up in creating the right marketing material that we overlook the address. Any missing or incomplete address parts can lead to your message landing in the wrong place. If your mail contains sensitive information, the omitted address parts can make it vulnerable to fraud. This is why one of the best ways to ensure you include all parts of an address while sending mail is by using an address verification solution like PostGrid.
In this blog, we will cover what is the address, its essential components, and how to write addresses for different purposes. We will also learn some tips for writing an address and how PostGrid’s address verification tool can be useful.
Key Takeaways
- An address is an essential element to ensure timely delivery of mails, packages, and services. It also plays a crucial role in identity verification and providing insights for marketing.
- A package in the US should include the recipient’s name, house number, street address, city, state and ZIP code as parts of an address. ZIP+4 code is optional but it is a helpful component.
- How you structure your address depends on the purpose for which you are sending the mail. For personal packages, you should follow the USPS guidelines.
- For business purposes, you should include the company’s name. If you are sending packages to a military area, the city and state gets replaced with station’s address details like APO, FPO.
- Make sure you have written all components of an address, neatly in the format of the relevant country’s postal standards. Ensure the abbreviations and ZIP codes are correct.
- You can save time and prevent any errors due to oversight by investing in an address verification tool like PostGrid. It makes sure you include all parts of an address in the correct format.
What is an Address?
An address is a collection of information which describes a certain location. There are different components of an address such as house number, street name, district, city, state, ZIP code etc. These address parts collectively point to a single and unique place. An address can be used for various purposes such as those mentioned below.
Mail delivery
Addresses are important to ensure that the mail, package, or any other form of correspondence reaches the intended recipient. You need a complete and correct address to send the mail. Missing components of an address might lead to delivery delays or misdelivery.
Missing address parts will require manual intervention which can cause delivery delays. In other cases, the mail might get returned to you and you will have to re-ship the mail, bearing the cost of address correction imposed by the shipping carriers. An address verification tool like PostGrid will ensure you deliver the package to an accurate, complete, and recent address.
Verification
Addresses serve as proof of address or business location. Identity checks and eligibility assessments are crucial parts of banks, utility providers, and government agencies. They need an accurate address to verify the identity of the person or the business looking to avail the service. Omitting parts of an address can lead to unsuccessful verification, leading to rejected applications for loans, or credit cards. In case the institution or service provider is unable to verify your address, they might outright deny the service or benefits.
Marketing Insights
You need all parts of an address to segment the market and understand customer demographics. This will play a crucial role in creating targeted marketing campaigns and offering personalized services. In case of missing address parts, your segmentation might be incorrect. Your accuracy of customers will be low. This will weaken your ability to create tailored and relevant offers that resonate with your target audience.
What are the Parts of an Address?
Recipient’s Name
This is the name of the person you are sending the mail or package to. Make sure to include the first and last name. In case you are sending it to a business, write the complete name of the business.
House Number
This includes the house number or the building the person is living in or from where the business operates. In case the recipient lives in a building with multiple units or has a specific apartment number, add one more line mentioning it.
Street Name
This is the name of the road where the address is included. In case the place uses a Postal Office Box number, you should add it here as well. It can also include the pre-directional, suffixes, and post-directionals as parts of an address.
Subdistrict
It is the geographical area within a district. In the USA, each district can have up to 25 sub-districts. Write the full name of the subdistrict.
District
It is the territory created within a city. As of 2024, the USA has 435 districts. Take, for instance, your recipient might live in the Austin district of the Texas city. Make sure you write the complete name of the district as part of an address.
City
It is the area inhabited by a greater population, size, and importance compared to that of the districts. Just like districts and subdistricts, you will have to write the complete city name.
State
This is the first level subdivision of a country. The USA has 50 states. While writing it as parts of an address, write an abbreviated version of the state. For instance, Massachusetts will be written as MA.
ZIP Code
Short for Zone Improvement Plan, ZIP code is a system of five-digit numeric postal codes used by the USPS to facilitate the delivery of mail and packages. It is called postal code in countries outside the USA.
The first digit indicates one of the ten large areas of the nation. It starts from 0 indicating the Northeast to 9 denoting the West. The next two digits signify the central mail processing unit. The remaining two digits refer to the area of the city or town. Take for instance, if you have to send mail to the University of Evansville (22), in Vanderborugh county(77), in Indiana (4), you will add the ZIP code 47772 on the envelope.
Zip+ 4 Code
ZIP+4 codes are four-digit codes, introduced in 1983 as an extension of the ZIP codes. It is also called plus-four codes, add-on codes, or add-ons. They are added with a hyphen after the standard ZIP codes. They provide granular information about the destination of the mail like the side of the street or a single building. Since it narrows down the delivery address to a handful of addresses, it accelerates the delivery process. It also minimizes the possibility of misdeliveries.
| Interesting Fact:
USPS changes ZIP and ZIP+4 codes depending on population growth, demographic changes, and other factors. To ensure accurate delivery, you need to make sure that you are mentioning current ZIP codes. Keeping track of ZIP and ZIP+4 code changes can be a tiresome process. This is why you should use an address verification tool like PostGrid to ensure your address database is current. By cross-referencing the address with the USPS database, PostGrid provides accurate and up-to-date information down to the ZIP+4 code level. According to the USPS, the automated mail processing machine scans the addresses from the bottom up, reading the state, city, and ZIP code first. Then the machine will look for a delivery address. In case it can’t find either line, the mail will be delayed or misrouted. This is why it is important to include all parts of an address in the correct format. |
Country (for Writing International Addresses)
When you are sending domestic mail, it is not necessary to write USA at the end of the address. However, if you are sending international mail, you should mention the country name in capital letters. Ensure that you are following the address format of the relevant country.
If you are operating your business on an international scale, standardizing each address with the format of the particular country can be a tiresome and error-prone process. PostGrid’s international address verification tool is built to verify, standardize, and correct addresses for over 245 countries and territories. We will ensure that every address is in the format accepted by the relevant country’s postal standards.
How to Structure Address Format for Different Purposes?
Domestic Residential Address
There are multiple ways to write a domestic address within the USA, with different states following different formats.
Take for instance, in Illinois and Wisconsin, the grid zone is one of the parts of an address. It indicates the block on which the grid is located. It helps pinpoint the street number to a particular area within the community. An address in these areas will be written as
| Address | What does it indicate? |
| David Perry | Recipient name |
| N54W | Grid zone |
| 29601 | House number |
| E John Avenue | Street direction, Name, Type |
| St. Charles, IL, 60175 | City, State, ZIP code |
While the address formats might differ, the basic components of the address remain the same throughout the country. USPS has laid down the following standard to write an address.
- Write the recipient’s first name and last name.
- Write the street name and number in the first address line.
- The apartment name and number go in the second address line
- Write city, state, and ZIP code, separated by a comma in the final line. Make sure to use the abbreviation for the state and write it in capital letters.
- Adding a ZIP+4 code is entirely optional. However, we do recommend it to ensure delivery accuracy.
Let us understand this with an example.
| Address | What does it indicate? |
| Ross Peterson | Name of the recipient |
| 425 Grove Street | Street name, Address |
| Apartment 12 | Apartment number |
| New York, NY, 10014-2336 | City, State, ZIP Code with ZIP+4 code |
In case you are sending a mail or package to an address with a PO BOX, make sure to include the PO Box number instead of the street address. Take for instance,
| Address | What does it denote? |
| Ross Peterson | Recipient’s name |
| PO Box 56789 | PO Box number |
| New York, NY, 10014-2336 | City, State, ZIP Code with ZIP+4 code |
Return Address
We recommend adding the return address to the envelope of your mail or package. This is instrumental in helping the postal service know whom to send the mail back to, in case it is undelivered. You can use the same format as mentioned above, except that it will now contain your name and address.
Business Address
While most of the components of an address for a business mail are the same, you need to add additional information. The courier company needs to know the name of the company where they have to deliver the package. Follow the steps mentioned below.
- Though not necessary, you can write ATTN on the first line. This will ensure that the company’s mailing professional delivers the mail to the right desk or office.
- Add the recipient’s name. In case the person uses a professional distinction like CEO, or VP, add a comma after their name and then add the designation.
- Add the name of the company in the second address line.
- Add the building name and street address in the next address line.
- Finish with city, state, and ZIP code.
Let us take an example to understand how to write a business address.
| Address | What does it denote? |
| ATTN: Jack Larson, VP | Recipient’s name and designation |
| Apple Diagnostics | Company’s name |
| 567 Centre Ln. | Street Address |
| Greenville, SC, 29601 | City, State, ZIP Code |
Military Address
The military address follows the same format, except for a few distinctions. Follow the format mentioned below.
- The name of the recipient goes in the first line.
- Mention the building and street name or PO box number in the second line.
- Instead of a city, the military address will have a DPO for the Diplomatic Post Office, an FPO for the Fleet Post Office, and an APO for the Air Force/Army Post Office.
- Replace the name of the state with the duty station of the person. It can be AA for Armed Forces America, AP for Armed Forces Pacific, and AE for Armed Forces Europe. Write it in capital letters.
- Add the ZIP code. The ZIP+4 codes are required for delivery.
Let us understand this with an example.
| Address | What does it signify? |
| Capt. John Smith | Name with designation as the prefix |
| Unit 3450 Box 123 | PO Box number |
| FPO AP 96453-3421 | PO name, Duty station name, ZIP code with ZIP+4 code |
International Address
Businesses sending international packages from a different country to the USA should use the format laid down by USPS. Ensure that you have written USA at the end of the address.
To send packages from the USA to other nations, you have to be mindful of the respective country’s postal standards. Every country has its own way of formatting different parts of an address. There is no international address format. You can visit the official website of the country’s postal office to cross-check the format. Let us understand with examples a Japanese address.
When written in English, the Japanese addresses are written in a single line, beginning with the largest administrative area and ending with the smallest. It includes district number, block number, building number, neighborhood, city, prefecture, postal code, and country name.
Take, for instance, 2–2–283 Shira Kawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo-to 282–7113 JPN. The English addresses have to be manually sorted since the automatic machine can’t read them. To make it readable to the automatic machine, the address should be written in kanji. You simply have to reverse the parts of an address and write in kanji, hiragana, or katakana characters.
The difference in acceptable address formats can make it challenging to operate a business on an international scale. This can easily become a headache when you have to send bulk mail regularly. Investing in an address verification solution like PostGrid which standardizes and corrects addresses as per the country format will save you time and eliminate the possibility of errors.
Tips for Writing an Address
Write Legibly
- To avoid any confusion during delivery, ensure you are writing clearly.
- Although not mandatory, we would recommend using block letters to improve readability.
- Avoid decorative fonts as they can be challenging for the machine to read.
- To avoid overlapping of alphabets, keep a consistent spacing.
- Write in the address format acceptable by the country’s postal standards.
Include Every Component of an Address
Before sending the package for shipping, check if it has all the parts of an address like those mentioned above. Any missing piece could either lead to misdelivery or failed delivery. In both cases, you will have to invest time and money in address correction and re-shipping the package.
Write the Complete ZIP Code
Correct and complete ZIP code speed up sorting and routing of the mail and packages. Adhere to the country’s format and check if you have written the correct ZIP code/postal code. For domestic mail, add the ZIP+4 codes, to narrow down the delivery area and prevent the risk of misdelivery.
Use Commas Wherever Required
To avoid confusion separate the city, state, street address, and other parts of an address with commas.
Use Correct Abbreviations
When writing for domestic purposes, USPS recommends using abbreviations for certain parts of an address. For instance, you must write the following components in abbreviated forms.
- ST for street
- AVE for avenue
- LN for lane
- DR for drive
- RD for road
Use PostGrid’s Address Verification System to Ensure You Have all Parts of an Address
Making sure all of your packages have accurate, complete, and recent addresses can be tiresome and prone to error. The process can become even more challenging when you have to send bulk mail or you operate internationally. A better alternative to investing your time and resources in checking that the mail has all parts of an address would be using an address verification system like PostGrid.
We offer an all-encompassing tool that verifies, standardizes, and corrects addresses as per the postal standard of the relevant country. We also offer verified, type-ahead autocomplete suggestions. This ensures that your database only has complete addresses. Moreover, we keep the address records of your system up-to-date by checking and updating addresses as per the National Change of Address. We help you save time by allowing verification of over a million addresses in one go. Our tool will ensure that your system has records with all parts of an address. If you are wondering how we work, request a demo now.
