When addressing mail, you would now place the ZIP code at the end of the address, after the state. This plan expanded the two-digit city coding system into a five-digit system that included three digits for the general geographical area followed by the two-digit city district code. Next, Postmaster General Edward Day took Philadelphia Postal Inspector Robert Moon’s proposal for improvements in the postal district codes and initiated the Zone Improvement Plan or ZIP codes. NIMS standardized the physical dimensions for envelopes and shape limitations for packages, which made mechanization possible. In 1961, the USPS increased efficiency by implementing the Nationwide Improved Mail Service system. This helped, but the increased volume of mail soon created a need for mechanization. Each district was assigned a one- or two-digit code that senders would place in between the city name and the state name. In 1943, a system of postal districts was formed for major cities. Use of the postal system increased significantly after 1940, so efforts were made to simplify the sorting and delivery process. It was better than colonial days when people relied on friends and merchants to deliver messages, but not much. Mail was hand-sorted, and delivery relied on local knowledge of its intended destination. You might have used the recipient’s street address along with the city and state, but you wouldn’t have seen a ZIP code. Postal Service, mailing addresses weren’t regulated. Let's see how ZIP codes started and how they've changed over the years. Since 1963, mail has been zipping along its route thanks to the introduction of ZIP codes.
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