[RP TownTalk] Online map (was: this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system"))

Fri Apr 6 12:17:04 UTC 2007

Nancy,

Just responding to your "tangent" question, there is a map, updated  
to include all of the annexations of the last several years, at

http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us/AboutRiverdalePark/Map.html

It doesn't show streets in neighboring towns, just what's in  
Riverdale Park.

	Alan

On Apr 6, 2007, at 7:25 AM, Nancy wrote:

> I'm sure they identify that exit as Hyattsville because the exit  
> from the BW
> Parkway is marked as Hyattsville.
>
> Tangent: is there an online map depicting Town boundaries? I know  
> where some
> of the Town boundaries are, but certainly not all, and in light of  
> this
> thread, I would like to make sure that I know.
>
> Nancy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Maureen  
> Farrington
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 3:10 PM
> To: TownTalk
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] this is crazy (USPS zipcode/name "system")
>
> 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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>>
>> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
>> http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>>
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> www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us