What the ZIP in ZIP Code Really Means

If you’re in the United States, the ZIP code is something you’ve used countless times throughout your life, but did you ever know what it meant? And more importantly, did you ever know what all those digits represent? Knowing the origin of the ZIP code won’t help you get a letter or package any faster, but without it, you would never receive your electric bill or that new pair of socks.

The ZIP code is an acronym for “Zone Improvement Plan,” and it just so happens the United States Postal Service (USPS) intended it to mean zippy or quick. In 1963, the Postal Service implemented the five-digit zip code, and as a sort of marketing move, they wanted to indicate that by using the zip code, the mail would get to its destination faster.

The “Improvement” part of the acronym ZIP was used to explain the change from the old system before 1963. Prior to that time, the Postal Service used postal zones only in large cities. This new system improved on the old by giving everyone a code for where they lived or worked. The reason the Postal Service did the change was because of the growing volume of mail they were receiving. It was a way they could sort the mail more efficiently.