Andrew Middleton (@mapcenter.com)

Elvis sang Return to Sender in 1962 lamenting his letter is returned "no such zone" but the ZIP code wasn't rolled out until 1963. Two digit zone numbers were assigned to metro areas after WWII before getting replaced by ZIP codes as mail volume increased. historyfacts.com/us-history/a...

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How the Postal Service Created the ZIP Code Even with the decline of letter writing in the digital age, the ZIP code remains an American institution, a neat five-digit number that caps an address and, like an area code, can serve as a point of pride and prestige. Given the ZIP code’s place as an oft-used and universally recognized symbol, it may come as a surprise that the ZIP, short for “Zone Improvement Plan,” isn’t all that old. The system was enacted on July 1, 1963, within many of our lifetimes and just a few months before another famous entity, the Beatles, also arrived in the United States. But unlike the mop-topped quartet, the five-digit zoning plan wasn’t immediately welcomed by Americans. Here’s a look at how the ZIP code came to be, and ultimately overcame a bumpy start to emerge as a signature accomplishment of the United States Postal Service. ...Read More https://historyfacts.com/us-history/article/how-postal-service-created-the-zip-code/