[RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")

Thu Apr 5 19:10:16 UTC 2007

I don't think there is any real use in pursuing any of this.  On NPR
the other day in their traffic report, they described the section of
the BW parkway by the 410 exit as being "in Hyattsville."

Sure we could petiton USPS and google maps (who also doesn't know that
Riverdale Park exists) but it doesn't matter.  We just need more
publicity so that it enters the public consciousness as to which town
is where.

-Maureen

On 4/4/07, Dwight Holmes <dwightrholmes at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 4/4/07, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:
> Or perhaps in the
> > intervening decade the post office has gotten easier to work with?
>
> The more i look at this, the more nonsensical and inconsistent the
> USPS's system is.  Just in our area, we have small towns that have
> their very own zipcode and don't share it with others (Bladensburg &
> Mt Ranier).  Then, we have small towns on the zipcode marquee that
> share with everybody (Hyattsville, College Park, Brentwood).  We have
> at least one unincorporated "town" with its own zipcode (Lanham) and
> then we have at least three incorporated towns like Riverdale Park
> that not only don't get their own zipcode, but aren't even "acceptable
> names" in the zipcode system.  That means if someone wants to write
> you and is looking up your zipcode and knows you live in Riverdale
> Park or Edmonston or *parts of* Cheverly they'll get confused. But
> most confused of all if you live in Riverdale Park!!
>
> If you go to http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp and type in
> Edmonston MD you get this:
>
> 20781    (EDMONSTON, MD IS NOT ACCEPTABLE - USE HYATTSVILLE)
>
> So your town isn't acceptable but at least it exists!
>
> But if you type in Riverdale Park MD you get this:
>
> We're sorry! We were unable to process your request.
>
> Please complete the field(s) indicated below.
> * Required Fields
> All field labels with a * are required
> * City
>
>                 Please enter a city.
>
> So unlike Edmonston which exists but isn't acceptable, Riverdale Park
> doesn't even exist. <sigh>
>
> Here's what I found while taking a look at the zipcodes and towns that
> surround Riverdale Park, and a couple of other nearby ones.
>
> some results from area zipcodes from usps.com's zipcode search page
> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) are below. the zipcode
> map at http://www.hyattsvillewiki.com/page/Hyattsville+Zip+Code+Map is
> also very useful!  (population and area are from wikipedia;
> determination of which towns are incorporated is based on the ADC
> map's use of yellow coloring of town areas)
>
> in sum we have:
>
> 1] Incorporated towns that appear to have a coterminus relationship
> with their zipcode:
> Mt Ranier (pop 8498, area .65 sq mi) (20712 -- no other towns or areas listed)
> Bladensburg (pop 7661, area 1.0 sq mi) (20710 - no other town or areas listed)
> (Why can't we be more like Bladensburg!?!)
>
> 2] Incorporated towns *not* recognized by the USPS zipcode system:
> Riverdale Park (pop 6690, area 1.6 sq mi) (20737, as Riverdale)
> Cheverly (20781, as Hyattsville -- but ok within 20784 and 20785)
> Edmonston (20782, as Hyattsville)
>
> 3] Incorporated towns recognized as "acceptable":
> University Park (20782)
> Berwyn Heights (20740)
> Colmar Manor (20722)
> Cottage City (20722)
> North Brentwood (spelled 4 different ways!) (20722)
> Glenarden (20706)
> Landover Hills (20784)
> New Carrollton (20784)
> Cheverly (20784 and 20785)
>
> 4] *Un*incorporated areas that are an "actual city name"
> Lanham (20706)
>
> 5] *Un*incorporated areas recognized as "acceptable"
> Chillum (20782)
> West Hyattsville (20782)
> Lanham Seabrook (20706)
> Seabrook (20706)
>
> I pulled the above "actual," "acceptable" and "not acceptable" city
> names in the USPS system zipcode searches
> (http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp) for the following: 20737,
> 20782, 20781, 20740, 20722, 20710, 20712, 20706, 20785, 20784:
>
> 20737:
> Actual City name in 20737
> RIVERDALE, MD
>
> 20782:
> Actual City name in 20782
> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> Acceptable City names in 20782
> CHILLUM, MD
> UNIVERSITY PA, MD
> UNIVERSITY PARK, MD
> W HYATTSVILLE, MD
> WEST HYATTSVILLE, MD
> Not Acceptable
> AVONDALE, MD
> GREEN MEADOW, MD
> LEWISDALE, MD
> PRINCE GEORGES METRO CTR, MD
>
> 20781:
> Actual City name in 20781
> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> Not Acceptable
> AVONDALE, MD
> CHEVERLY, MD
> EDMONSTON, MD
> ROGERS HEIGHTS, MD
> TUXEDO, MD
>
> 20740:
> Actual City name in 20740
> COLLEGE PARK, MD
> Acceptable City names in 20740
> BERWYN HEIGHTS, MD
> BERWYN HTS, MD
> Not Acceptable
> BERWYN, MD
> NORTH COLLEGE PARK, MD
>
> 20722
> Actual City name in 20722
> BRENTWOOD, MD
> Acceptable City names in 20722
> COLMAR MANOR, MD
> COTTAGE CITY, MD
> N BRENTWOOD, MD
> NO BRENTWOOD, MD
> NORTH BRENTWO, MD
> NORTH BRENTWOOD, MD
> Not Acceptable
> BRENTWD, MD
>
> 20710
> Actual City name in 20710
> BLADENSBURG, MD
>
> 20712
> Actual City name in 20712
> MOUNT RAINIER, MD
> Not Acceptable
> MT RAINIER, MD
>
> 20706
> Actual City name in 20706
> LANHAM, MD  [which is not incorporated]
> Acceptable City names in 20706
> GLENARDEN, MD
> LANHAM SEABROOK, MD
> SEABROOK, MD
>
> 20785
> Actual City name in 20785
> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> Acceptable City names in 20785
> CHEVERLY, MD
> LANDOVER, MD
> N ENGLEWOOD, MD
> NORTH ENGLEWOOD, MD
> Not Acceptable
> ARDMORE, MD
> PALMER PARK, MD
>
> 20784
> Actual City name in 20784
> HYATTSVILLE, MD
> Acceptable City names in 20784
> CHEVERLY, MD
> LANDOVER HILLS, MD
> LANDOVER HLS, MD
> NEW CARROLLTN, MD
> NEW CARROLLTON, MD
> Not Acceptable
> LANHAM, MD
>
> Dwight Holmes
> Riverdale PARK, MD
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