Term: ZIP CODE
Zoning Improvement Plan. The USPS instituted zip codes to facilitate mail handling and delivery. The first digit represents one of ten areas of the country (0 = New England, 9 = West Coast, etc.). The first three digits together represent a Sectional Center Facility or main post office. The last two digits further define the destination point in terms of a post office or delivery center area within a large city or in terms of a small city whose residents share the same zip code.
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