Which state abbreviations

The people who were left also weren't as familiar with the parts of town they didn't work in prior. The post offices began breaking down cities into broad numbered regions like Birmingham 7, etc. This system proved effective, and became de facto practice up until the release of the Postal Bulletin for June, The bulletin introduced the ZIP Code as a fast and easy way of organizing mail. They also released new shorter state abbreviations to make room for ZIP codes on letters.

But what about the postal codes? That same year, in October, came Publication With it came the codes we have today. They were originally intended as optional tags for businesses, but became standard for everyone over time. Since there has been only one change to the postal codes; in , at the request of the Canadian government, the code for Nebraska was changed from NB to NE, to avoid confusion between Nebraska and New Brunswick.

In addition to the fifty states and D. The populated ones have their own postal codes, but only the two most populous Puerto Rico and Guam have abbreviations. Some former territories still maintain postal codes, as they are considered free associates of the United States. The Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau are all free associates. These are included on a second table below. Updated January 21, Logan Chamberlain. See also:. Members of the United Nations.

Trending Here are the facts and trivia that people are buzzing about. Why is the abbreviation for Missouri MO when the word starts with "Mi? Most state abbreviations follow a pattern for shortening state names. However, there are a few states that break the rules or are especially confusing. Some of these states of confusion include:. When all else fails, come up with a memorable mnemonic to help you think of the correct codes.

For example, Hawaiians are so friendly that they always say "HI! The United States is a fascinating and diverse country, with each state very different from the next. Take a tour around the different regions of the U.

Learning more about the United States of America can bring a new appreciation for the great democratic experiment.

Expand your knowledge with these famous American symbols and their histories. Finally, if you're writing about the U. All rights reserved. US map of state abbreviations. Arkansas AR Ark. California CA Calif. Colorado CO Colo. Connecticut CT Conn. Delaware DE Del. Florida FL Fla. Georgia GA Ga. Indiana IN Ind. Kentucky KY Ky. Louisiana LA La. Massachusetts MA Mass. Michigan MI Mich. Minnesota MN Minn. Mississippi MS Miss. Missouri MO Mo. Montana MT Mont. Nebraska NE Neb.

Nevada NV Nev. New Hampshire NH N. New Jersey NJ N. This format is the official USPS postal abbreviation. When writing for text or in references, traditional abbreviations are used. The names of states should be always spelled out when they are written in sentences. Traditional abbreviations were used before the two-letter postal codes became standard.