What are the Different USPS Zones?

There’s a lot of confusion out there when it comes to the different USPS zones. In fact, one of the most common questions people ask us is, “What USPS zone am I in?” In reality, the distance a package has to travel from its origin point (in miles) determines the different USPS zones—not an area’s physical location. For example, the distance between Los Angeles, CA and Portland, OR is roughly 960 miles. Therefore, sending a parcel from Los Angeles to Portland will be classified as Zone 5. This will determine the price of postage, along with the USPS mail class the package is sent in. Below is a chart of all the different USPS zones and their distances, for your reference.

Table of Contents

• Breakdown of the Different USPS Zones
• Want to Determine the Zone You Are Shipping To?
• Use Shipping Software to Get the Best Rates When You Ship to Any USPS Zone

Breakdown of the Different USPS Zones

• Zone 1: 1-50 miles
• Zone 2: 51-150 miles
• Zone 3: 151-300 miles
• Zone 4: 301-600 miles
• Zone 5: 601-1000 miles
• Zone 6: 1001-1400 miles
• Zone 7: 1401-1800 miles
• Zone 8: 1801 miles or greater
• Zone 9: Designated for Freely Associated States, for example when you ship to Guam, Palau and other US Territories

Want to Determine the Zone You Are Shipping To?

A great way to find the zone you are shipping to is by using USPS’ Domestic Zone Chart. Just type in the origin zip code, the destination zip code, and the shipping date!

An even cooler tool is Pirate Ship’s dynamic USPS zone map. Just type in your zip code or hover your mouse over your location, and it will show you a nice color-coded map of all the different zones based on where you are!

Use Shipping Software to Get the Best Rates When You Ship to Any USPS Zone

In case you didn’t know, you can buy postage online with USPS shipping software, and it will be much cheaper than buying it from the Post Office. This is because most shipping software solutions allow you to get USPS postage discounts typically only reserved for commercial shippers. No matter which USPS zone your package falls into, you’ll always save the most money when you use shipping software to buy postage!