Free, no signup. Updated October 2026
USPS zone map and zone chart lookup
Enter two ZIP Codes to get the USPS zone.
Enter the ZIP Code you ship from and the one you ship to. The tool reads the official USPS Domestic Zone Chart, including 5-digit exceptions, and the map colors every 3-digit ZIP area in the contiguous US by its zone from your origin.
USPS zone map
Sample: Zone 7From 78721To 10001
- Zone 10-50 mi
- Zone 251-150 mi
- Zone 3151-300 mi
- Zone 4301-600 mi
- Zone 5601-1k mi
- Zone 61k-1.4k mi
- Zone 71.4k-1.8k mi
- Zone 81.8k+ mi
Dots show base USPS chart zones by 3-digit ZIP area from 78721. The map covers the contiguous US. A 5-digit or service-specific exception can differ; check the lookup result.
USPS zone data effective October 1, 2026.
From the official USPS chart
USPS zones from Austin, TX
On the USPS zone chart effective October 1, 2026, 19 of 931 destination 3-digit ZIP areas (2%) are Zone 8 from Austin, TX (787). From New York (100) the share is 17%, and from Los Angeles (900) it is 48%.
From Austin, 777 of the 931 areas (83%) fall in Zones 5 to 7. The Zone 8 areas are in Alaska (5), Hawaii (2), Maine (7), Puerto Rico (3), U.S. Virgin Islands (1) and Washington (1).
Share of ZIP areas in Zone 8
Zone 8 is the highest distance-based zone and usually the most expensive on zoned services.
- Austin, TX (787)2%
19 of 931 areas
- New York, NY (100)17%
156 of 931 areas
- Los Angeles, CA (900)48%
451 of 931 areas
Where Austin’s 19 Zone 8 areas are
- Alaska5
- Hawaii2
- Maine7
- Puerto Rico3
- U.S. Virgin Islands1
- Washington1
Zone mix from Austin (787)
Destination 3-digit ZIP areas by base zone.
| Zone | ZIP areas | Share | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 3 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Zone 2 | 13 | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| Zone 3 | 34 | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Zone 4 | 84 | 9.0% | 14.4% |
| Zone 5 | 270 | 29.0% | 43.4% |
| Zone 6 | 302 | 32.4% | 75.8% |
| Zone 7 | 205 | 22.0% | 97.9% |
| Zone 8 | 19 | 2.0% | 99.9% |
| Zone 9 | 1 | 0.1% | 100.0% |
| Total | 931 | 100% |
What these numbers count. Each figure is a count of destination 3-digit ZIP areas on the chart, including Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories and military (APO/FPO/DPO) areas. They are base zones, so 5-digit exceptions are not counted. They are not shipments or population, and some ZIP areas hold far more customers than others. A zone is a pricing band, not a delivery-time promise.
Austin has a much smaller share of Zone 8 destination areas than New York or Los Angeles. That does not mean a lower average zone: a coastal warehouse sits close to the dense ZIP areas on its own coast. To compare origins for your store, look up your own ship-to ZIP Codes from each one.
Source: USPS Domestic Zone Chart, effective October 1, 2026.
Simpl Fulfillment ships every order from one warehouse in Austin, TX 78721, so this is the zone mix our clients’ orders start from. Is a central US 3PL better than a coastal one?
How to use the USPS zone lookup
Step 1: Enter your origin ZIP. This is the ZIP Code you ship from: your warehouse, your home, or your 3PL’s fulfillment center. USPS chart rows are origin-based, so this ZIP anchors the result.
Step 2: Enter the destination ZIP. Use the ZIP Code the order is going to. The lookup reads the USPS chart entry for that origin and destination.
Step 3: Read the zone. The lookup shows the USPS chart’s zone and any listed service exceptions. The map shows base zones by 3-digit ZIP area in the contiguous US.
Why zones matter for ecommerce shipping
USPS zones are origin-based. The same destination can have a different zone from another warehouse, which can change postage on services that use zones.
Origin ZIP changes everything
Zones are calculated from the shipment origin, so a second warehouse or prep location can reshape your cost profile even when the customer mix stays the same.
Higher zones usually cost more
Zoned services generally get more expensive as packages travel farther. Weight, dimensions, and service level still matter, but zone is one of the first levers to understand.
Useful before the exact quote
Use this as planning math for free-shipping thresholds, marketplace margins, subscription boxes, and SKU launches. Use live carrier rating for final postage decisions.
Understanding the USPS zone bands
USPS assigns zones to origin and destination ZIP Code pairs for services that use zones. The zone tracks distance, not state lines. USPS measures from the center of the origin’s 3-digit ZIP area to the center of the destination’s, not between street addresses.
- Zone 1: the same 3-digit ZIP area, or areas whose centers are up to 50 miles apart.
- Zone 2: within about 150 miles.
- Zone 3: within about 300 miles.
- Zone 4: within about 600 miles.
- Zone 5: within about 1,000 miles.
- Zone 6: within about 1,400 miles.
- Zone 7: within about 1,800 miles.
- Zone 8: everything beyond Zone 7.
- Zone 9: the Freely Associated States: the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Military APO/FPO/DPO ZIP Codes are not Zone 9. Their zone depends on your origin, and Priority Mail or Ground Advantage under 1 lb can use a different zone.
These bands come from the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, section 608. On a zoned service, a Zone 8 shipment usually costs more than a Zone 2 shipment of the same weight and size. A 5-digit exception can differ from the base zone shown for a 3-digit ZIP area.
How zones change your shipping math
If most of your customers sit in high zones from your warehouse, your average shipping cost climbs, even when your product and packaging never change. That matters when you set a free-shipping threshold, price a subscription box, or quote a wholesale order. Knowing your zone mix up front keeps those decisions from quietly eating your margin.
Two levers help. The first is origin: shipping from a location closer to your customers pulls more orders into lower zones. The second is packaging and service selection, which decide how much that distance actually costs. Our comparison of USPS Ground Advantage and Priority Mail shows how the service choice plays out. The zone is the starting point. Live carrier rates are the final word before you buy postage.
Need the shipping work handled?
Simpl can store, pack, and ship your orders from Austin.
We help ecommerce brands plan packaging, postage, fulfillment workflows, inventory storage, returns, and customer delivery expectations without turning every order into carrier-rate homework.
USPS zone map FAQs
- What are USPS shipping zones?
- USPS zones are numbered categories used to price some services. The result depends on the origin and destination ZIP Codes, and some 5-digit or service-specific exceptions apply.
- Is this an official USPS rate quote?
- No. This tool reads USPS zone-chart data but does not calculate postage or validate a delivery address. Use USPS or a postage provider for a rate based on the service, package, weight, and destination.
- What does the map show?
- The map shows the USPS chart's base zone for each 3-digit ZIP area in the contiguous US from the selected origin. The ZIP lookup can also reflect 5-digit and service-specific exceptions.
- Do all USPS services use zones?
- No. Some services and flat-rate packaging use different pricing. For a zone-priced service, the chart zone is one part of the postage rate.
- Can Simpl reduce high-zone shipping costs?
- Simpl helps brands plan packaging, carrier selection, and fulfillment workflows from our Austin, TX warehouse. For many sellers, the biggest win is knowing the zone mix before building free-shipping thresholds or subscription pricing.
- What does Zone 3 mean for USPS?
- Zone 3 covers destination ZIP areas outside Zone 2 that lie within about 300 miles of the center of the origin's 3-digit ZIP area. USPS measures from the center of the origin's 3-digit ZIP area to the center of the destination's, not between street addresses.
- Where can I find the official USPS zone chart?
- USPS publishes its Domestic Zone Chart at postcalc.usps.com. This tool reads that chart, including 5-digit exceptions, so you can look up a ZIP pair without reading the full grid.
- How often do USPS zone charts change?
- The chart this tool uses is effective October 1, 2026. We refresh it when USPS publishes a chart with a new effective date.
- How many USPS shipping zones are there?
- USPS charts use Zones 1 through 9. Zones 1 to 8 cover the US, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam and APO/FPO/DPO military addresses. Zone 9 is the Freely Associated States: Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands. The zone depends on both ZIP Codes, and some 5-digit or service-specific exceptions apply.