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List of postcode areas in the United Kingdom

Postcode area boundaries:
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This is a list of postcode areas, used by Royal Mail for the purposes of directing mail within the United Kingdom. The postcode area is the largest geographical unit used and forms the initial characters of the alphanumeric UK postcode.[1] There are currently 121 geographic postcode areas in use in the UK and a further three often combined with these covering the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and Isle of Man.

Subdivision

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Each postcode area is further divided into post towns and postcode districts.[1] There are on average 20 postcode districts to a postcode area,[1] with ZE having the lowest (3) and BT the highest (81). The London post town is instead divided into several postcode areas.[2]

Scope

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The single or pair of letters chosen for postcode areas are generally intended as a mnemonic for the places served.[1] Postcode areas, post towns and postcode districts do not follow political or local authority administrative boundaries and usually serve much larger areas than the place names with which they are associated. Many post towns are former "county towns" but postcode areas rarely align with the county (or successor authority) area. For example, within the PA postcode area the PA1 and PA78 postcode districts are 140 miles (225 km) apart, and cover 5 local authority areas; and the eight postcode areas of the London post town cover only 40% of Greater London.[2] The remainder of its area is covered by sections of twelve adjoining postcode areas: EN, IG, RM, DA, BR, TN, CR, SM, KT, TW, HA and UB.[2]

United Kingdom postcode areas

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Map of the United Kingdom and Crown dependencies showing postcode area boundariesAB postcode areaAL postcode areaB postcode areaBA postcode areaBB postcode areaBD postcode areaBH postcode areaBL postcode areaBN postcode areaBR postcode areaBS postcode areaBT postcode areaBT postcode areaCA postcode areaCB postcode areaCF postcode areaCH postcode areaCM postcode areaCO postcode areaCR postcode areaCT postcode areaCV postcode areaCW postcode areaDA postcode areaDD postcode areaDE postcode areaDG postcode areaDH postcode areaDL postcode areaDN postcode areaDT postcode areaDY postcode areaE postcode areaEC postcode areaEH postcode areaEN postcode areaEX postcode areaEX postcode areaFK postcode areaFY postcode areaG postcode areaGL postcode areaGU postcode areaGY postcode areaHA postcode areaHD postcode areaHG postcode areaHP postcode areaHR postcode areaHS postcode areaHU postcode areaHX postcode areaIG postcode areaIM postcode areaIP postcode areaIV postcode areaJE postcode areaKA postcode areaKA postcode areaKT postcode areaKW postcode areaKW postcode areaKY postcode areaL postcode areaLA postcode areaLD postcode areaLE postcode areaLL postcode areaLN postcode areaLS postcode areaLU postcode areaM postcode areaME postcode areaMK postcode areaML postcode areaN postcode areaNE postcode areaNG postcode areaNN postcode areaNP postcode areaNR postcode areaNW postcode areaOL postcode areaOX postcode areaPA postcode areaPA postcode areaPA postcode areaPE postcode areaPH postcode areaPH postcode areaPH postcode areaPH postcode areaPL postcode areaPO postcode areaPR postcode areaRG postcode areaRH postcode areaRM postcode areaS postcode areaSA postcode areaSE postcode areaSG postcode areaSK postcode areaSL postcode areaSM postcode areaSN postcode areaSO postcode areaSP postcode areaSR postcode areaSS postcode areaST postcode areaSW postcode areaSY postcode areaTA postcode areaTD postcode areaTF postcode areaTN postcode areaTQ postcode areaTR postcode areaTR postcode areaTS postcode areaTW postcode areaUB postcode areaW postcode areaWA postcode areaWC postcode areaWD postcode areaWF postcode areaWN postcode areaWR postcode areaWS postcode areaWV postcode areaYO postcode areaZE postcode areaZE postcode areaZE postcode areaZE postcode areaAL postcode areaBR postcode areaCM postcode areaCR postcode areaDA postcode areaE postcode areaEC postcode areaEN postcode areaGU postcode areaHA postcode areaIG postcode areaKT postcode areaN postcode areaNW postcode areaRM postcode areaSE postcode areaSL postcode areaSM postcode areaSW postcode areaTN postcode areaTW postcode areaUB postcode areaW postcode areaWC postcode areaWD postcode areaWD postcode areaBB postcode areaBD postcode areaBL postcode areaCH postcode areaCW postcode areaDE postcode areaDN postcode areaFY postcode areaHD postcode areaHG postcode areaHX postcode areaL postcode areaLA postcode areaLL postcode areaLL postcode areaLS postcode areaM postcode areaNG postcode areaOL postcode areaPR postcode areaS postcode areaSK postcode areaST postcode areaWA postcode areaWF postcode areaWN postcode areaYO postcode area
Map of postcode areas in the United Kingdom and Crown dependencies, with links to each postcode area
Postcode area Postcode area name[1][3] Code formation Number of postcode districts within area
AB Aberdeen 33 (Highest number 56)
AL St Albans 10
B Birmingham 79 (Highest number 98)
BA Bath 19 (Highest number 22)
BB Blackburn 13 (Highest number 18)
BD Bradford 27 (Highest number 99)
BH Bournemouth 26 (Highest number 31)
BL Bolton 10 (Highest number 9)
BN Brighton 30 (Highest number 45)
BR Bromley 8
BS Bristol 37 (Highest number 49)
BT Belfast 81 (Highest number 94)
CA Carlisle 28
CB Cambridge 16 (Highest number 25)
CF Cardiff 35 (Highest number 83)
CH Chester 37 (Highest number 66)
CM Chelmsford 25 (Highest number 77)
CO Colchester 16
CR Croydon 9 (Highest number 8)
CT Canterbury 21
CV Coventry 24 (Highest number 47)
CW Crewe 12
DA Dartford 18
DD Dundee 11
DE Derby 23 (Highest number 75)
DG Dumfries[1] Dumfries and Galloway 15 (Highest number 16)
DH Durham 9
DL Darlington 17
DN Doncaster 32 (Highest number 41)
DT Dorchester 11
DY Dudley 14
E East London 20 (Includes E1W)
EC East Central London 23 (EC is split into four, with EC1, EC2 and EC4 split -A, -M, -N, -R, -V & -Y and EC3 split -A, -M, -N, -R & -V; highest number 4/4Y)
EH Edinburgh 54 (Highest number 55)
EN Enfield 11
EX Exeter 33 (Highest number 39)
FK Falkirk 21
FY Blackpool[1] The Fylde 8
G Glasgow 52 (Highest number 84)
GL Gloucester 27 (Highest number 56)
GU Guildford 38 (Highest number 52)
HA Harrow Harrow 10 (Highest number 9)
HD Huddersfield 9
HG Harrogate 5
HP Hemel Hempstead 24 (Highest number 27)
HR Hereford 9
HS Hebrides 9
HU Hull 20
HX Halifax 7
IG Ilford Possibly Ilford and Gants Hill (or Barking) 11
IP Ipswich 33
IV Inverness 52 (Highest number 63)
KA Kilmarnock Possibly Kilmarnock and Ayr or Kilmarnock 30
KT Kingston upon Thames 24
KW Kirkwall 16 (Highest number 17)
KY Kirkcaldy 16
L Liverpool 40
LA Lancaster 23
LD Llandrindod Wells[1] 8
LE Leicester 21 (Highest number 67)
LL Llandudno 67 (Highest number 78)
LN Lincoln 13
LS Leeds 29
LU Luton 7
M Manchester 43 (Highest number 90)
ME Rochester Medway 20
MK Milton Keynes 26 (Highest number 46)
ML Motherwell 12
N North London 23 (Includes N1C, Highest number 22)
NE Newcastle upon Tyne[4][5] 61 (Highest number 71)
NG Nottingham 29 (Highest number 34)
NN Northampton 19 (Highest number 29)
NP Newport 18 (Highest number 44)
NR Norwich 35
NW North West London 11
OL Oldham 16
OX Oxford 27 (Highest number 49)
PA Paisley 67 (Highest number 80)
PE Peterborough 38
PH Perth 43 (Highest number 50)
PL Plymouth 35
PO Portsmouth 34 (Highest number 41)
PR Preston 11 (Highest number 26)
RG Reading 30 (Highest number 45)
RH Redhill 20
RM Romford 20
S Sheffield 45 (Highest number 81)
SA Swansea 51 (Highest number 73)
SE South East London 28
SG Stevenage 19
SK Stockport 19 (Highest number 23)
SL Slough 10 (Highest number 9)
SM Sutton[1] Possibly Sutton and Morden, the two post towns that are within the SM area [6] 7
SN Swindon 18 (Highest number 26)
SO Southampton 23 (Highest number 53)
SP Salisbury Salisbury Plain 11
SR Sunderland 8
SS Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea 17
ST Stoke-on-Trent 21
SW South West London 27 (SW1 is split into eight, -A, -E, -H, -P, -V, -W, -X & -Y; highest number 20)
SY Shrewsbury 25
TA Taunton 24
TD Galashiels Tweeddale 15
TF Telford 13
TN Tunbridge Wells[1] 40
TQ Torquay 14
TR Truro 27
TS Cleveland Teesside 29
TW Twickenham 20
UB Southall[1] Uxbridge 11
W West London 26 (W1 is split into thirteen, -A to -D, -F to -H, -J, -K, -S to -U & -W; highest number 14)
WA Warrington 16
WC West Central London 14 (WC1 is split into eight, -A, -B, -E, -H, -N, -R, -V & -X; WC2 is split into six, -A, -B, -E, -H, -N & -R; highest number 2R)
WD Watford 11 (Highest number 25)
WF Wakefield 17
WN Wigan 8
WR Worcester 15
WS Walsall 15
WV Wolverhampton 16
YO York 29 (Highest number 62)
ZE Lerwick[1] Zetland 3

Crown dependencies

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The Crown dependencies (which are not part of the United Kingdom) did not introduce postcodes until later, but use a similar coding scheme. They are separate postal authorities.[1]

Postcode area Postcode area name
GY Guernsey
JE Jersey
IM Isle of Man

Defunct postcode areas

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London NE and S

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Glasgow

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Glasgow, like London, was divided into compass districts: C, W, NW, N, E, SE, S, SW. When postcodes were introduced, these were mapped into the new G postcode: C1 became G1, W1 became G11, N1 became G21, E1 became G31, S1 became G41, SW1 became G51, and so on. As NW and SE had never been subdivided they became G20 and G40 respectively.

Norwich and Croydon

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Norwich and Croydon were used for a postcode experiment in the late 1960s, which was replaced by the current system. The format was of the form NOR or CRO followed by two numbers and a letter, e.g. NOR 07A. They were later changed to CR0 (digit '0') and NR1.

Dublin, Ireland

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When Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland a postal district system was introduced in 1917 by the UK government. The letter D was assigned to Dublin. Upon the establishment of the Irish Free State and later, the Republic of Ireland, the Irish government retained the designation and today it forms part of the Eircode system, a postcode format slightly different from the UK format and identifying individual addresses. Since Irish independence, D has never been reassigned as a postcode area in the UK.

Non-geographic postcodes

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Types

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Some postcode areas do not correspond to geographical areas. They can be - (a) postcode areas with no geographic link (for use by Large Volume Receivers ("bulk mail", with delivery options determined between the LVR and Royal Mail) and these can for general mail or specific functions (e.g. parcel returns; centralised scanning of mail); (b) non-geographic postcode districts or sectors contained within geographic postcode areas (for LVRs or PO Boxes); and (c) specific purpose postcodes.

Postcode area Purpose
BF British Forces Post Office
BX National Non-geographic
GIR Girobank (no longer operating)
XM Letters to Father Christmas ("XMas")
XX Parcel returns to LVRs; COVID-19 samples
aa91-aa95 Business Large Volume Receivers in a postcode district (but this number range is not universally applied, and has many exceptions)
aa96-aa99 Government Large Volume Receivers in a postcode district (but this number range is not universally applied, and has many exceptions)
aanP PO Boxes, in some London postcode districts e.g. EC1P, N1P (but is not consistently applied)

Numbering of non-geographic postcode districts

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For those within geographic postcode areas, the first two numbers can be any number though they are generally larger than the numbers allocated to geographic districts. Some fall within the range 91 to 99 (e.g. S98 for payments to MNBA Ltd; NE98 for Department for Work and Pensions, Central Office, Newcastle-upon-Tyne). However, there are many exceptions to this - e.g. American Express has the postcode area BN88; in Glasgow G58 1SB is allocated to National Savings, formerly National Savings Bank, as a mnemonic (SB, and with 58 looking like SB), though it is located in the G43 postcode district; and in Glasgow G70 is allocated to HMRC which is located in G67. Some are in fact geographic e.g. EH99 1SP for the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

BF

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The BF postcode area was introduced in 2012 to provide optional postcodes for British Forces Post Office addresses, for consistency with the layout of other UK addresses. It uses the national non-geographic post town "BFPO" and, as of 2012, the postcode district "BF1". Each BFPO number is assigned an inward code, which are grouped as: 0 - Germany, 1 - UK, 2 - Rest of Europe, 3 - Rest of World, 4 - Ships and Naval Parties, 5 - Rest of World, Operations and Exercises, 6 - Rest of World, Operations and Exercises.[7]

BX

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The non-geographic postcode area BX has been introduced for addresses which do not include a locality; this allows large organisations long-term flexibility as to where they receive their mail. This postcode area is used by Lloyds Banking Group (BX1 1LT), HSBC (BX8 0HB) and parts of HM Revenue and Customs like VAT (BX5 5AT) and Pay As You Earn (BX9 1AS). Lloyds Bank also use BX4. After splitting from Lloyds, TSB Bank uses BX4 7SB, the latter part of which, when written, looks similar to "TSB".

GIR

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GIR 0AA is a postcode created for Girobank in Bootle. It remained in use by its successors when Girobank was taken over by Alliance & Leicester and subsequently by Santander UK.[until when?]

XM

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XM4 5HQ is a postcode created for letters sent to Santa Claus or Father Christmas (with XM4 5HQ resembling "XMAS").

XX

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The non-geographic postcode area XX is used by online retailers for returns by Royal Mail, and was used for COVID-19 test samples.

Retailer
(or other user)
XX Postcodes
Adidas XX40 4AA
Amazon XX10 1DD (Scottish Distribution Centre)[8]
XX10 1ZZ (Yorkshire Distribution Centre)
XX30 1FF (South West Distribution Centre)
XX40 2PP (National Distribution Centre)
XX50 1DD (Scottish Distribution Centre)
XX50 9SS (Scottish Distribution Centre)
XX60 1XX (Princess Royal Distribution Centre)
ASOS XX10 1AA
Boohoo.com XX10 1BB
BT Group XX10 1BT
John Lewis XX10 1EE
XX40 1EE
Marks & Spencer XX10 1SS
Very XX20 1DD
musicMagpie XX10 1FF
XX20 1BF
XX20 1FF
HP / Cycleon Retail Returns XX40 1EH
XX40 2HH (toner cartridge recycling)
Nike XX40 2HH
Zara XX40 1EJ
Mango XX40 1EN
Monsoon Accessorize XX40 1EP
Boden XX40 1EG
H&M XX40 1HN
Oasis XX40 1YY
Shein XX40 3SS
Sony / Cycleon returns XX40 3WW
Temu XX40 1ZZ
Sky XX40 4UU
Biocentre (COVID-19 testing) XX40 4FL
AstraZeneca (COVID-19 testing) XX40 8AZ
Biocentre (COVID-19 testing) Scotland XX50 5FL

Overseas territories

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Certain British Overseas Territories introduced single postal codes for their territory or major sub-sections of it. These are not UK postcodes, even though many are formatted in a similar fashion:

Territory Postcode
 Anguilla AI-2640[9]
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha:
 Ascension Island
 Saint Helena
 Tristan da Cunha[10]

ASCN 1ZZ
STHL 1ZZ
TDCU 1ZZ
 British Indian Ocean Territory BBND 1ZZ
 British Antarctic Territory BIQQ 1ZZ
 Falkland Islands FIQQ 1ZZ[11]
 Gibraltar GX11 1AA
 Pitcairn Islands PCRN 1ZZ
 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands SIQQ 1ZZ
 Turks and Caicos Islands TKCA 1ZZ[12]

Other overseas territories have introduced their own more extensive postcode systems:

Overseas Territory Further information
 Bermuda Postal codes in Bermuda
 Cayman Islands Postal codes in the Cayman Islands
 British Virgin Islands Postal codes in the British Virgin Islands
 Montserrat Postal codes in Montserrat

Civilian residential and business addresses in Akrotiri and Dhekelia are served by Cyprus Postal Services and use Cypriot postal codes.

Mail to Overseas Territories is treated as international if posted in the UK.

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Address Management Guide (5th ed.). Royal Mail Group plc. March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c HMSO, The Inner London Letter Post, (1980)
  3. ^ Office for National Statistics (1999). The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom (PDF) (2000 ed.). London: The Stationery Office. "UK Postal Areas", map opposite p. 5. ISBN 0-11-621098-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  4. ^ Manger, Warren (26 August 2014). "40 facts about the postcode to mark 40th anniversary as vital part of daily life". Mirror. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  5. ^ "History of the UK Postcode - Modern Origin". Postcode Area. Archived from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Postcodes in the UK". Jonathan Rawle's Website. 3 July 2006. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Send mail with the British Forces Post Office (BFPO)". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  8. ^ Amazon Help [@AmazonHelp] (24 October 2016). "@MarkWickson This postcode is a non-geographic code used by us for returns carried by Royal Mail to our returns center Dunfermline, SCT. ^SW" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. ^ "Anguilla Has a Postal Code, AI-2640". The Anguillian. 12 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2010.
  10. ^ "First postcode for remote UK isle". BBC News. 7 August 2005. Archived from the original on 24 December 2008.
  11. ^ "Rammell welcomes new Postcode for the Falkland Islands". Merco Press. 19 May 2003.
  12. ^ Turks and Caicos Islands Archived 10 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Bureau International UPU.
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