ZIP Code Boundaries
Description | Spatial | Data Structure | Data Source | Metadata
Description
Citation
Title: ZIP Code Boundaries
Publication date: 20250702
Data type: vector digital data
Description
Abstract:
U.S. ZIP Code Boundaries represents five-digit ZIP Code areas used by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail more effectively. The first digit of a five-digit ZIP Code divides the United States into 10 large groups of states (or equivalent areas) numbered from 0 in the Northeast to 9 in the far West. Within these areas, each state is divided into an average of 10 smaller geographical areas, identified by the second and third digits. These digits, in conjunction with the first digit, represent a Sectional Center Facility (SCF) or a mail processing facility area. The fourth and fifth digits identify a post office, station, branch or local delivery area. The boundaries are sourced from TomTom (June 2024) and the 2023 population estimates are from Esri Demographics. This layer is updated annually. The POSTCODE and STFIPS were added afterward.
Purpose:
United States ZIP Code Boundaries provides a 2024 boundary with a total population count. A Living Atlas item from ArcGIS Online.
Key Words
Theme:
Keyword thesaurus: EPA GIS Keyword Thesaurus
Theme:
Keyword thesaurus: None
Theme:
Keywords: boundaries
Keyword thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Place:
Keywords: United States
Keyword thesaurus: EPA Place Names
Data Constraints and Credit
Access constraints:
None
Use constraints:
This work is licensed under the Esri Master License Agreement.
Dataset credit:
Esri; TomTom; United States Postal Service (USPS)
Spatial Reference Information
Horizontal Coordinate System
Coordinate System Details
Geographic coordinate system
Latitude resolution: 8.983152841195215e-09
Longitude resolution: 8.983152841195215e-09
Geographic coordinate units: Decimal Degrees
Geodetic model
Horizontal datum name: D WGS 1984
Ellipsoid name: WGS 1984
Semi-major axis: 6378137.0
Denominator of flattening ratio: 298.257223563
Data Structure and Attribute Information
Name and Format
Data type: vector digital data
Native dataset environment: Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview Version 10.0 (Build 20348) ; Esri ArcGIS 13.7.0.1901
Overview
Direct spatial reference method: Vector
Attributes of ZIP
Attributes
OBJECTID
Definition:
Internal feature number.
Attribute values: Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute definition source:
Esri
Shape
Definition:
Feature geometry.
Attribute values: Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute definition source:
Esri
ZIP
PO_NAME
STATE
POSTCODE
POPULATION
POP_SQMI
AREA
GEOID
Shape_Length
Definition:
Length of feature in internal units.
Attribute values: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute definition source:
Esri
Shape_Area
Definition:
Area of feature in internal units squared.
Attribute values: Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute definition source:
Esri
SDTS Feature Description
Spatial data transfer standard (SDTS) terms
Feature class
Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
Count: 0
Data Source and Process Information
Process Steps
Process step information
Process Step 1
Process description:
downloaded from ArcGIS Online Living Atlas. POSTCODE was added and assigned to ZIP for application use. STFIPS was added by joining the States layer based on the state abbreviation.
Metadata Reference
Metadata Date
Last updated: 20260724
Metadata Standards
Standard name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Standard version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Time convention: local time
FGDC Plus Metadata Stylesheet
Stylesheet: FGDC Plus Stylesheet
File name: FGDC Plus.xsl
Version: 1.7
Description: This metadata is displayed using the FGDC Plus Stylesheet, which is an XSL template that can be used with ArcGIS software to display metadata. It shows metadata elements defined in the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standard and the ESRI Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (ESRI Profile). This stylsheet is in the public domain and may be freely used, modified, and redistributed. It is provided "AS-IS" without warranty or techical support.
Instructions: Click the title on the top of the page to toggle opening and closing all metadata content sections. Or tab to individual sections by clicking the section links listed horizontally below the title. Section names are centered and shown in white with a blue background. Click on a section name (e.g. Description) to open and close all section content, or individually click terms listed on the left (Status, Key Words, etc.) to individually open and close section content items. Note, some section content items (Citation, Description, etc.) are intentionally opened by default due to their importance.
Key features: Supports W3C DOM compatible browsers such as IE6, Netscape 7, and Mozilla Firefox. Metadata content organized into sections that expand and collapse. Click on title to toggle opening and closing all content (metadata sections). Page header includes menu links that tab to invidual metadata sections. Page footer links to http://www.fgdc.gov/ web site. Ignores metadata XML elements that contain all whitespace (spaces, carriage returns, tabs, line feeds, etc). Over 40 metadata elements are parsed to respect line breaks introduced by metadata author to either start a new line or a new paragraph, depending on number of consecutive line breaks and white space characters present. Over 40 metadata elements are searched for internal URL strings (that contain a "://" or "www.") and converts each one to a hypertext link. Browse graphic image and description displayed together on same page if image is JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, or BMP. Other browse graphic file types such as PDF popup in separate window. Enumerated attribute domain values listed in HTML table, which can be opened and closed. All FGDC metadata elements supported. FGDC Process Steps include full descriptions of each Data Source Used and Produced as long as the value of Process Step's Source Citation Used (srcused) and Source Citation Produced (srcprod) metadata element match a Data Source Citation (srccitea) metadata element value. All ESRI metdata elements supported except for Binary elements used to include thumbnail image. Includes ESRI Geoprocessing History, ESRI Feature Terms, ESRI Geometric Network, ESRI Subtype, ESRI Relationship Class, ESRI Topology, and ESRI Raster elements. Topology rules are named and described as shown on the ESRI topology_rules_poster.pdf included with ArcGIS software.
Download: FGDC Plus Stylesheet is available from the ArcScripts downloads at www.esri.com.
NEPAssist: Metadata