A Canadian postal code (French: code postal) is a six-character string that forms part of a postal address in Canada.[1] Like British, Irish, and Dutch postcodes, Canada's postal codes are alphanumeric. They are in the format A1A 1A1, where A is a letter and 1 is a digit, with a space separating the third and fourth characters. As of October 2019, there were 876,445 postal codes,[2] using forward sortation areas (FSAs), from A0A in Newfoundland to Y1A in Yukon.
Canada Post provides a postal code look-up tool on its website[3] and via its mobile application,[4] and sells hard-copy directories and CD-ROMs. Many vendors also sell validation tools, which allow customers to properly match addresses and postal codes. Hard-copy directories can also be consulted in all post offices, and some libraries.
When writing out the postal address for a location within Canada, the postal code follows the abbreviation for the province or territory.
- ^ "Canada Postal Guide – Addressing Guidelines". Canada Post. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ "Canadian Postal Code Database". GreatData.com. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
- ^ Canada Post. "Canada Post – Find a Postal Code". Retrieved 11 April 2016.
- ^ "Mobile Apps". Canada Post. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011.