Writing Addresses
If you are writing an address, whether typed or handwritten, on an envelope to be mailed via the post office, do not use any punctuation. Use all CAPS. Center the address on the envelope and use a flush left margin. Put room, suite, and apartment numbers on the same line as the street address.
Example:
JESSIE SANTANA
4325 W PALM BEACH RD RM 419
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94116
If you know the four-digit extension of the zip code, the post office will be even happier with you.
Also, note that you should use RD for Road and W for West. Other abbreviations: STE for Suite and APT for Apartment.
If you are writing an address in the body of a letter, use punctuation.
Example: Please send mail to Jessie Santana, 4325 W. Palm Beach Rd., San Francisco, CA 94116.
Posted on Wednesday, January 17th, 2007, at 6:42 pm
34 Responses to “Writing Addresses”
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According to the USPS, all capital letters should also be used.
Where have I been? I use punctuation on mailings all the time. When did this change?
Aam I glad to see your critique of using commas before “and” in a series of three or more!
This is the way I learned it more than half a century ago and have continued in its use. I have been citicized by many others for fidelity to this pricniple.
Others have said that even our best newspapers don’t follow the principle anymore, with the sole exception, I believe, of the New York Times.
Sandra points out that the post office also requests all capital letters on business addresses. She’s absolutely correct. However, I couldn’t find this same instruction on the USPS web site for personal mail.
I am glad to see that this is finally getting out there. While I was in an office position, I kept in close contact with the postal office. They taught me decades ago about not putting in any punctuations on the envelope that was going to be mailed. I thought I was the only one who knew, because nobody else seems to do that.
In addition to the NO PUNCTUATION rule, a rule of thumb for business that I teach is to type all of the information in ALL CAPITAL letters. This not only is quicker to type but more efficient for the Post Office to sort. Thank you for your invaluable information!
I could not find it in my booklet I have in my classroom from the Post Office either. I remember this from a business writing course I took in college.
That’s a new one to me. THANK YOU!
Nat
Thank you for the new information of addres writting.
thanks for all the tips you are sending me. I hope you will continue sending me more of your ideas.
grace
Thank you for sharing. When should a comma go after “and”?
hi,
Thanks for sending an e-mail like this ……. if u can just send more & more
yours
Dilnia A Qader
Ernestine, you don’t need a comma after “and.”
This appears to have been answered in the book Eats, Shoots & Leaves by British author Lynne Truss.
As I recall, Lynne explained this as the “Oxford comma,” and I discuss this each semester in my college composition class. So it seems to have been a true “English” issue–and I would rather have the extra comma.
I use the example of the 60s folk group Peter, Paul and Mary–and I prefer to have the comma after Paul Stookey’s name. The reason for that, I explain, is that if Paul could not make a performance for some reason, would that exclude Mary too?
The Associated Press Stylebook dictates the lack of a comma before the conjunction in a series. Most newspapers and journalistic writers adhere to the AP principals/rules of writing.
True!
What if it’s a single-digit house/building number? For example:
Two Penn Center, Suite 1313
Would I write 2 PENN CENTER STE 1313 or TWO PENN CENTER STE 1313?
This is from the USPS site, http://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/pub28c2_016.htm: Numeric street names, for example, 7TH ST or SEVENTH ST, should be output on the mailpiece exactly as they appear in the ZIP+4 file. Spell out numeric street names only when there are duplicate street names within a postal delivery area and the only distinguishing factor is that the one you matched is spelled out.
Most of us don’t have the ZIP+4 file; therefore I recommend following the advice given in the second sentence, i.e., generally use numerals.
I learned how to write an envelope in fourth grade…. they stated that this is the new way to address an envelope.
By the way, that was in the late 1970′s.
Perhaps they were referring to the introduction of the zip code for United States mail. Ziip codes were introduced in 1967 and were still being promoted as “new” in the1970s. (Please note that there is no appostrophe in 1970s.)
What is the correct way to write “suite” when there are 2 suite numbers?
The plural of suite is suites. It should be capitalized if it is part of a formal address.
Example: 100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suites 100 and 101.
Some people still use a hyphen to separate the number of the house or apartment from the name of the street (e.g., 602 – 32nd Street. Will you please tell me how long before or after World War II this practice ended? Thanks
Personally, I’ve never seen this practice and do not see any information on the internet about it. You may wish to inquire with the US Postal Service.
Hello Jane,
When using all caps for mail addresses can titles be used without the punctuation? Mr., Ms. as MR, MS.
Thank you,
Jonathan
Our blog Writing Addresses says, “If you are writing an address, whether typed or handwritten, on an envelope to be mailed via the post office, do not use any punctuation. Use all CAPS.” Therefore, a title would also be written without punctuation. Examples:
MR FRED SIMON
MS MARIA SANCHEZ
When writing an address on a letter, returning to the sender, what is the proper way to include inc. at the end of the company name?
If you are simply returning an unopened envelope, you only need to write “Return to sender” on the envelope. If you are writing a letter in response to a letter received from a corporation, Inc. should be capitalized and include a period, but a comma is not required after the company name. Example: Weblinx Inc.
My address has a “1/2″ in it. (i.e., 1234 1/2 Main Street)
Many places don’t allow for the backslash.
What is the correct alternative? 1234.5? 1234B?
I am not sure that I understand what you mean by “places” that do not allow for the backslash. It is possible that this is not a grammar question but a question for the postal service. If your address is 1234 1/2 Main Street, any “alternative” could result in misdirected mail.
I am a Canadian. Are there different rules for Canada such as something based on either English or French rules?
I was taught:
Catcher Andrews,
Apt. 57,
27 Laurier Rd.,
Ottawa, Ontario. …….
Although I do not consider myself an authority on addresses outside the United States, I did find that the contact address on the Canada Post website does not use commas in English or French.
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/support/helpcentre/default.jsf#Mail
Hello, do we normally write house number prior to the street name? For example, would it be correct to write the address in the following way (this address is outsite the US, but I need to write it according to the English norms):
155 Joliot Str., Balashiha 141980, Moscow Region, Russia
Balashiha is a city, and 141980 is the postal code of the city. Would it be correct to write the zip code right after the city name? Or do I have to write it after the “Moscow Region”?
Thanks in advance.
The United States norm would be to write the address exactly as it would be written to ensure proper delivery in whatever country the address resides. If you feel you must write it according to American English norms, then street is abbreviated St. Our zip codes come after the name of the state. Perhaps then, your postal code should follow Moscow Region.